


Of Kings and Queens

by Aubrie1234



Series: Madness Men [1]
Category: Bandom, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance
Genre: Descendants/Reincarnations, Does the warning still apply if the characters are already dead?, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Ghost Possession, Ghosts, Giant Animals Bonded to Humans, I mentally torture Gerard a lot in this, M/M, MCR is still alive in modern times, Medieval Kings, My First Work in This Fandom, Obsession and Insanity, This Is Gospel is the theme/song for this fanfic, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-28
Updated: 2018-03-13
Packaged: 2019-02-08 18:09:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 20
Words: 70,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12870141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aubrie1234/pseuds/Aubrie1234
Summary: MCR knew haunted places were bad news after the Paramour, so they tried to avoid such places at all costs. But then they find that the castle they're taking a vacation in is haunted. However, this one doesn't seem to be out to get them. At least, it isn't out to get Ray and Bob most of the time. Or Andy and Joe, when they arrive.A.K.A. The story of a crazy ghost king with nothing left to lose who thinks Frank, Mikey, Patrick, and Pete are his lost friends and wants them dead, each for a different reason.





	1. The Tale of Madness Begins

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Where is my prince?](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/342468) by NadzEscapade. 



> This is my first work here, so please be nice. I've loved the stories here on the Archive and finally decided to make my own. This work was inspired by a picture I saw on DeviantArt, called Where is my prince? by NadzEscapade. I don't own the artwork, only the idea, so if you want to praise me for this story, you should also praise them for giving me the idea and their artwork.
> 
> This is set in modern times in a slight AU where MCR never broke up and Bob rejoined the band, but I tend to see them looking a bit like Revenge-era during this. You can picture otherwise, but Gerard has his long black hair and Frank's hair is more Danger Days-era in looks and length. Just a heads-up for your imagination.

"Why the hell are we going to Siberia?!" Mikey growled, wrapped up in his coat as their tour bus trudged along through the snow.

"We're on vacation, remember?" The younger Way looked less ridiculous when sitting beside his brother, Gerard, who was more wrapped up than Mikey was.

"But  _why_  does it have to be in one of the coldest places on the planet?!"

"Fangirls."

"...Point taken." Mikey shivered, "How much longer?"

"Shouldn't be too long." Ray came into the room and joined them on the couch, "Bob says he can see the castle from here."

"That's good." Gerard gave a nod, "I can't wait to get out of the cold."

"But isn't the castle going to be cold?" Mikey asked.

"Not really. They've renovated the place so it can stay warm, even in the winter." Ray explained, "Right, Gerard?"

"Yeah, that's what the brochure said." the eldest agreed, "Frank still sleeping?"

"Don't you know it." Ray sighed with a smile, shaking his head, "You wanna get him up when we get there?"

"Sure. It'll warm me up a bit anyways." Gerard stood and went into the back of the bus, probably to get ready to wake Frank. None of them quite understood how the guy could sleep when it was so cold, but they didn't question it. It had to be one of his perks, right? It wasn't long after that that they finally arrived at the castle, where a bump and a yelp could be heard in the back of the bus. Mikey and Ray rolled their eyes, pretty sure on what happened.

"Everyone ready to go?" Bob asked, peeking his head in from the front as Gerard and Frank joined them.

"All set!" Everyone in the band liked creepy things, but none moreso than Gerard or Frank, and the frontman was practically beaming now while Frank grumbled something about getting back at Gerard. The band then left the bus and stared up in wonder at the huge castle, known as the Four Corners Castle. From the brochure Gerard had procured before coming, it was supposedly around 1000 years old and still stood strong, but had a bit of a dark history. It was still a relatively popular museum-hotel combo, though. They had all discussed thoroughly about coming here, especially with Mikey, seeing as there was a big possibility of ghosts. They had learned their lesson after the Paramour, though it had been a decade since they had been in that hellhole. And much to their surprise, the younger Way had agreed to go, but at the first sign of danger, they would leave. With full agreement from the rest of the band, they had booked their 2-week vacation. Once their vacation was over, they would begin a music tour of Russia and the rest of Asia. It had all been planned out, just as long as Four Corners wasn't dangerous.

"You all must be the Way party, correct?" They were torn out of their observations by another voice with a slight accent, possibly Russian. It had come from a man in his 40's, around Gerard's and Ray's age, who was as bundled for the cold weather as they were. To lessen the chance of encountering fans during this vacation, they had registered themselves as a group and not a band, but they were pretty sure anybody could see past that. Not like they minded, but they preferred to keep a low profile now if they could.

"Yeah, that's us." Gerard shook his hand, "I'm Gerard, this is Mikey, and these are our friends, Ray, Frank, and Bob."

"Nice to meet you. My name is Leonidas, but you can call me Leo. Yet you look familiar..."

"Probably just a coincidence." Frank shrugged, though they all knew why they looked familiar.

"Right. Well, come in and we'll get you settled." He led the way inside and they found themselves in the foyer of the castle, which was considerably warmer than outside. It was actually a bit small, to their surprise, and unlike most movies where the stairs are huge and in the middle, there were two staircases that curled off to the sides, allowing the front desk of the hotel to be set up like it would be in a normal building.

"While saying here, you all have complete access to the museum, like our other guests." Leo explained, "In fact, while I lead you to your rooms, I can give you a small tour of the place. Would you like that?"

"Sure." Ray nodded and the other bandmembers didn't mind.

"The brochure I got, it mentioned this place had some bad history." Gerard spoke as they went up the stairs on the left side of the lobby, "Just what is so bad about this place?"

"It's haunted, supposedly." Shivers shot down all their spines.

"Out of one fire and into another..." Bob muttered.

"I said  _supposedly_. I haven't encountered anything haunting myself, but some of the guests have said they did."

"Is your short tour going to go over why this place is haunted?" Frank asked.

"Of course." Leo nodded, "We're heading up to the Hall of History right now. There are 4 wings, one for each of the intermediate directions of the compass, which is strange compared to most castles. Though, going with the history of this place, it makes complete sense."

"Because this castle was at the corners of four kingdoms, right? That's why this place is called Four Corners. The wings are pointing towards the kingdoms, or where they used to be." Gerard said. The brochure was in his coat pocket, where Mikey took it out to look at it.

"That's right. You'll all be staying in the Scorxus wing, which is to the northwest."

"Scorxus? What a creative name..." Frank mused.

"Oh, I didn't come up with it." Leo shook his head, "No one did. It's a part of the castle's history. The northwest part of the castle was in Scorxus, the kingdom of Scorpions." They finally left the stairs and were now walking down a hall, but it wasn't anything fancy, so they knew they weren't in the Hall of History yet.

"But the southwest wing, it's unnamed." Mikey was looking at the map in the brochure and gave their guide a confused look.

"Yes, that's because the kingdom to the southwest, we don't know anything about it. We barely know anything about its king, too, so we just call it the Unknown Kingdom and that's just the southwest wing." Leo turned to the right and opened some large doors, "We're here." When the guys went inside, they almost gasped in amazement. There was a long, single yellow carpet down the middle of a huge hall with a high ceiling and along the walls were tapestries. To the sides of the carpet were pedestals, new ones, that held glass cases containing items pertaining to the history of the kingdom. No wonder it was called the Hall of History.

"This hall just holds everything needed for a small history of everything. If you want to know more, there's more in the library and the various wings." Leo stepped forward, turning around the face them, "To start off, the names of the kingdoms were Scorxus, Spidantia, Phonicamy, and the Unknown Kingdom. From what we can tell, each had an animal motif. Scorxus had scorpions, Spidantia had spiders-" Frank shivered at the mention of the 8-legged fiends, "and Phonicamy had the Phoenix. Unfortunately, like I said before, almost nothing is known about the last kingdom, so no one knows if it had an animal motif or not. They all had their own colors, too, mostly an inversion of each other. Scorxus and Spidantia were close, so they each had blue and red, though Scorxus had more blue than red and Spidantia had more red than blue. Phonicamy and the Unknown Kingdom had green and black, respectively, and were also close to one another." Leo pointed down, "That's why this carpet is yellow, as well as any carpets or other pieces of cloth not in the wings. Because no kingdom had this color, it was considered neutral and offended no one.

"Another thing that made those kingdoms different from most was that their kings stayed here, in this castle, instead of keeping to themselves and so far from the borders. It helped with disputes between the kingdoms because all four were good friends, though some were closer than others. The kings were Ferdinand of Scorxus, Gervasisus of Spidantia, Percival of Phonicamy, and Paul of the Unknown Kingdom." Leo began walking forward, causing the band to follow him. He stopped at the first tapestries, where the left had red and blue while the right had green and black. The guide pointed to both as he went on, "All the kings were benevolent, especially Ferdinand and Percival, but Gervasius wasn't as good as the rest. He tried his best but there were times that some saw him as cruel." The both tapestries were split in two and on each side showed men with crowns bowed and on their knees, the masses reaching up below them. There were certainly rings of what looked like halos around each of their heads except for one man, the one on the right of the red tapestry. Instead of a halo, his head was surrounded by flames. The red tapestry also seemed to be much newer than the black.

"Why is the red tapestry in much better shape than the other?" Bob asked.

"Because it's brand new, at least compared to the rest of this place." Leo explained, "We had to re-weave it from pictures in history books because it was completely gone when the castle was first discovered. If you'll wait a few minutes, I can explain why it was gone. Now, as I was saying, Gervasius wasn't always a kind king, but he was best friends with Ferdinand, as was Percival to Paul. That was why their kingdoms were so close to the point that they could almost be considered two whole kingdoms instead of four. However, things began to change a few years after Percival, the youngest, had become king." Going down the hall, there was now only the black tapestry on the right, the other side open to a window. The tapestry showed one man with a halo on horseback leaving the other three, and below it was a case holding a sword and sheath inset with blue stones, "Scorxus was suddenly under fire from a foreign power, the Vladimir-Suzdal state, which is what we know will become Russia. This caused Ferdinand to leave to support his troops and someone had to take his position while he was gone, which was given to Gervasius, his best friend. The war lasted a long time, around 7 years and Vladimir-Suzdal was beaten off, but at the 5-year mark, Ferdinand's sword was sent back to his friends, indicating that he had died, most likely in battle. None of the kings took it well, especially Gervasius, which led to his true descent into madness.

"From what we know, it was highly suspected that there was something wrong with Gervasius, even when he was a child." The second tapestry, a red one to the left, had three circles of flame, each showing something with the single king in it. One had his drinking a bottle of wine, the second had his torturing someone on a rack, and the third had him making small dolls, one of which was in a case in front of the tapestry. The doll wasn't just made out of various pieces of cloth, though, all of the cloth that was used for it already had a pattern on it, "But no one suspected his madness until now, where he lost his mind after losing his best friend. He tortured his subjects relentlessly and saved their blood when they died so he could mix it with wine to drink and store in the cellar. He also made dolls of cloth in depictions of Ferdinand, including the one on display, and used any cloth he could get his hands on, such as the first red tapestry. That was why we had to make a new one, as he had used the first to make his dolls. Making so many of the dolls, all of them about Ferdinand, added to the theory that he was obsessed with his best friend and possibly in love with him as well. But, seeing as he's been dead for over half a millenium, there's no way we can ask.

"As it was, though Gervasius tried to keep what he did secret, it eventually got out and Percival and Paul went to put a stop to it." There was another black tapestry, this one with Gervasius (the one with the halo of flames, they suspected) against one of the other men with a halo, both with clashing swords. Below the tapestry was a case containing a sword and sheath inset with red stones this time, "Percival challenged the mad king to a duel to end Gervasius' reign of bloody terror and won, killing the older man. But, to make sure, he had Gervasius' body burned and he took over for Spidantia while Paul took control of Scorxus. That wasn't the end to everything, though." The next red tapestry held two circles of flame and a main picture. The circles held two things, one a door and other a torch, and the main picture had a chandelier falling on top of one of the halo men. Under this tapestry was another sword and sheath, these inset with green stones, "After Gervasius' death, strange things began to happen around Four Corners. Doors opened and closed without warning and torches went out without wind, among other things, and some suspected Gervasius' ghost began haunting the castle. None of it was proven until a chandelier fell on Percival and killed him.

"Paul was the last of the kings and now in control of all four kingdoms, but he did something that was drastic and cruel at the end." The last tapestry, a black one, had another hale man on a horse, his head bowed as he left the castle, below it a sword and sheath inset with black stones, "He disbanded the kingdoms and left without a trace. No one knows what came of him after that, but that's the end of the ancient history of this place. The lands governed themselves until they were taken over by Russia and eventually, in the 1950's, this place was found. It was closed and boarded up, as if no one wanted anyone to go in there, but was renovated and open in 1959 as the museum-hotel you see today." Though the hall splint off into two directions at the end, the yellow carpet went on and led up to four cases, each with a thin, silver crown. They had a single design on them, an animal, and each had a single stone as part of the animal. There was a red spider, a blue scorpion, a green phoenix, and when looked to be a black deer's head. Behind the cases, which were in groups of two, were two covered pictures. Beside each was a hanging tassel of yellow, ready to open the curtains that covered them, most likely.

"Since its opening, there have been reports of strange things still happening in the castle and some think that Gervasius still haunts this place, but nothing has been proven except the Blue Room Incidents." More chills shot through their bodies after the mention of the room. It may have been in a completely different place, but the name was almost too coincidental.

"W-what happened in those incidents?" Mikey asked uneasily.

"Well, in the rest of Four Corners, the usual ghostly stuff happens. Lights going out, doors closing or opening, furniture not being where it's supposed to, etc. However, if anyone spends the night in Ferdinand's room, which we call the Blue Room because of its color, then they die soon after by a day at the most. Nothing ever happens to the person if they stay for only a few hours or minutes, but if they stay a night, something always happens that kills them. They get run over by cars, shot accidentally by guns and even arrows, and there was even one who was unfortunate enough to get his head cut off by one of the halberds of the suits of armor around the place. If you can think of a way to die, it's probably happened to someone unfortunate enough to stay in that room. That's why it's one of the only rooms here that are unavailable. The only other one is Gervasius' room, seeing as people who used to sleep in there had terrible nightmares that were sometimes enough to drive them to suicide or insanity. And now that I think about it," Leo had a new light in his eyes as he looked at Gerard, Mikey, and Frank, "now I know why you three are so familiar! I take so much pity on you, though..."

"Why?" The three shared a confused glance.

"Here, let me show you the portraits." Leo revealed the one on the right. In the picture two of the kings where back to back, their swords in hand and resting on the floor and their crowns on their heads. Because of the shape of the crowns and the color of the jewels, they had to be Percival and Paul. However, that wasn't what got the attention of the band. Percival and Paul looked just like Patrick and Pete of Fall Out Boy, the ones from the AB/AP-era, but Paul's hair wasn't dyed blond like Pete's. But when Leo revealed the second portrait, the entire band paled. The other kings were in the same positions as Percival and Paul, but Gervasius and Ferdinand looked just like Gerard and Frank in Revenge-era, except Ferdinand's hair was also not dyed. Another difference was that instead of having hazel eyes, like his modern counterpart, Gervasius was painted with bright red eyes that seemed to be staring right into them.


	2. Montresor

“Okay, we're done!” Mikey was already on his way out of the building.

“Me too!” Frank ran after him, but the two didn't get far.

“Hold it!” Ray grabbed them by their jacket collars and pulled them back, “Just because those kings look like you and Gerard, Frank, it doesn't mean we're going to be in danger!”

“Didn't you hear what Leo said?! We could die here!” Mikey roared, trying to struggle out of his grip.

“Yeah, but nothing's happened yet and you promised to stay unless we saw a sign of danger.” Bob pointed out, “I know you hate it here, but aren't you gonna stick to your word?”

“...Fine, but just this once!” Mikey calmed down a bit but was still a bit nervous.

“Oh come on!” Frank threw his hands into the air, “Next thing you know Fall Out Boy will be coming by for their own vacation!”

“Wait a second, where's Gerard?” They all looked back to see their frontman was gone.

“I didn't see him leave.” Leo spoke, shaking his head when they looked to him.

“Do you have any idea of where he could have gone?” Mikey asked.

“He could be anywhere, but if I was him after seeing the picture, I would head to Gervasius' room, in the Spidantia wing. Follow me.” As Leo began to lead the way, Mikey reached for his pocket and found that the brochure he placed there was still there and he knew Gerard didn't know his way around, so could his brother be lost? Why did Gerard leave the room in the first place, anyway? Was he just curious or was there something more to it? As he headed down the red-lined halls of the Spidantia wing, Mikey felt that there was definitely something more to it, something that gave him a feeling like the one he had at the Paramour. And he didn't like it, not one bit.

* * *

After viewing the portrait, Gerard's mind had drawn a blank until now, where he found himself in a lavishly furnished room of red and blue, mostly red. There was a huge bed on the back wall with a spider carved into the footboard and curtains of red, ready to protect whoever laid in it, and the windows had elegant carvings around the stone sides, carvings of hearts and dragons and fire and skulls. There was also a large fireplace that was big enough for him to stand in with a bookshelf on each side, but he barely took any note of the room except for the portrait that hung above the fireplace.

It was large, as big as the ones in the Hall of History, but it showed five people instead of two this time. There were two boys and three adults, one man and two women, one of whom looked to be getting up in years with her graying hair. She also wore the spider crown, indicating she was the queen. She stood behind the rest of the people, mainly the younger woman while the man sat and held the younger boy in his lap. The elder boy stood beside the queen and the young woman. All in all, it looked to be a family picture, but Gerard was creeped out a bit by the similarities the people in the picture held with his own family.

“Gerard!” The frontman turned to see his friends enter the room, “There you are!”

“Hey.” he greeted softly, turning back to the picture, “That looks really familiar, doesn't it?”

“You shouldn't-” Mikey paused in his tirade once he saw the large portrait, “Y-yeah. That looks like Elena, doesn't it?” He pointed to the elder woman.

“Guys, you shouldn't be in here...” Leo was the only one who hadn't gone inside, restlessly standing in the doorway.

“Why not? This isn't Ferdinand's room.” Frank pointed out.

“No, but it's Gervasius'.” A chill seemed to descend at the mention of the mad king's name.

“Then this is a portrait of his family, right?” Gerard gestured to the framed painting.

“Yes, the only one we could find of all of them together. His grandmother was the queen when he and his brother were young and ruled until he was an adult, where she passed away and he took the throne.”

“But shouldn't his father have taken it instead?” Ray asked, “That's how succession works, isn't it?”

“That's right, but there were unusual circumstances involved.” Leo nodded, “That painting was made when Gervasius was ten and shortly after it was made, his little brother, Montresor, was murdered.” Mikey and Gerard took a second look at the painting and quickly saw similarities between the younger Way and Montresor, “Then, when Gervasius turned fifteen, both his parents were assassinated, leaving him as the only heir to the Spidantia throne. Many people think that Gervasius was the one who murdered Montresor and orchastrated the deaths of his parents because of his actions in later life, but without proof, no one knows for sure. Now, could you please leave the room before Gervasius tries to murder you too?”

“Do you believe he's really haunting this place?” Bob asked as the band complied, leaving the room and the creepy coldness it held.

“At first, when I started working here, I didn't. But he's convinced me otherwise with a few close calls.” Their guide shook his head, “But let's get you to your rooms, shall we?” He began leading them again, this time away from the Spidantia wing.

“What was that all about?” Mikey hissed to his brother quietly, “You just disappeared without a sound or trace! Don't you know how worried we were?”

“Ah, about that...” Gerard spoke, “I don't know how it happened. One second I was in the Hall of History, next thing I know I'm in Gervasius' fucking room!” he shivered, “I don't like it here. Maybe we could find a new hotel to stay at.”

“Well, Ray and Bob kind of convinced me to stay, though I and Frank agree with you.” Mikey looked ahead to the rest of the group, “Let's stay the night before we make a decision. Because, even though I don't think it's a good idea, nothing might happen.”

“...Alright. At least we'll be sharing a room, right? I paid for two rooms, so we'll _have_ to share rooms.” Gerard looked a bit spooked, and Mikey hadn't seen him this pale without his makeup since their stay at the Paramour. Too many things were connecting this place to that hellhole and no one was liking it, especially him.

“Of course we will.” the younger pat the elder on the shoulder, “There's no way I'm staying anywhere here alone, especially since you feel the same.”

* * *

_“Gervasius?” Percival was wondering where his friend had gone to and was now searching the Spidantia wing, passing by various servants and guardsmen. He had asked a few times to the location of the eldest king and some said they had seen him at his balconies. Everyone knew where that was, so Percival didn't have a hard time finding Gervasius. The balconies were 5 small balconies that jutted out from the castle at the end of the Spidantia wing. Many didn't like them, thinking they could be easily used for an invasion, but Gervasius kept them regardless, as they had been originally built for his family to look out over their land together._

_“Evening, Percival.” greeted the Spidantia king from the middle balcony. In his hand was the Scorxus crown, held as carefully as if Gervasius was holding fragile crystal instead of silver. Percival went to the first right balcony to take a good look at his friend._

_“There has been news.” he said, leaving on the railing. Usually Percival wouldn't do this, knowing that it was improper for a king to do so, but he wanted to get a good look at the other king. Gervasius was not known to show his feelings except for anger and hate, but ever since Ferdinand's leaving, he had mostly been emotionless and distant._

_“Has there?” The elder stared out at his lands blankly, his mind probably elsewhere._

_“It is about Ferdinand.” Instantly Gervasius was looking at Percival with interest._

_“What is it? Is he coming home? Is the war over?”_

_“Sadly, no.” From under his cloak Percival took a scroll, “Things have taken a turn for the worse. Ferdinand has been injured and has come down with a horrible sickness. The priest believes he will not last much longer.” Gervasius snatched the scroll and opened it, reading the terrible paper for himself. Slowly, with shaking hands, he closed it and tucked it into his own cloak before turning around and leaving._

_“Where are you going?” Percival called in confusion._

_“To see Ferdinand!”_

_“What?!” Percival left the balcony to catch up with the other king, “It is much too dangerous! We do not need to lose two kings!”_

_“I have to see him.” Gervasius gave him a glare, “You would not understand.”_

_“I believe I would if Paul was in Ferdinand's place! But still, you cannot go! You could be injured and come down with sickness yourself! What about your kingdom, your subjects? Are you willing to let them fall because of your own foolishness?”_

_“I am not being foolish!” Gervasius drew his sword, the hilt inset with rubies, and pointed it at Percival's throat, “I am only going to visit him, no more. I am going to bring my best priests with me to make him well, and he_ will _get well!”_

_“And if he does not?”_

_“He will. You will see, child.” Gervasius sheathed his sword and left. Percival had wanted to comment that he was not a child (he was only a few years younger than Paul), but with Gervasius, he couldn't risk it. The eldest king was an unpredictable torch waiting to catch others in its flame, always flaring up in the worst of moments, so getting him angry was something Percival wasn't willing to do over something so trivial as his age. He also knew trying to talk sense into Gervasius would be useless because the other never listened to anyone except Ferdinand._

_“I have to tell Paul.” Percival muttered to himself, “He will know how to deal with Gervasius once Ferdinand is gone, I hope.”_

* * *

Mikey found himself waking to the sound of crying.

It wasn't natural crying, either, it sounded distant and had a bit of an echo, like it was elsewhere in the castle, but loud enough that it sounded like it was happening in the room with him. Sitting up, he looked around, searching for his glasses. He rarely wore them anymore, usually early in the mornings or late at night before he put in his contacts, but they were still useful for times like this. Once they were on, he looked around for the source of the noise.

Since they had arrived at Four Corners late in the day and with jet-lag, the band had gone to bed early in their rooms. Each was sparsely furnished with two queen-sized beds and dressers, with a single window on the other side of the room. Because the beds were so big and Frank was sharing a room with Gerard and Mikey, the brothers had decided to share their bed to allow Frank to have one for himself. And, as Mikey looked around, he noticed that his brother was gone. Getting a worried feeling, Mikey got up and left the room, shivering as his feet hit the stone floor.

The crying was louder out here and there was still no sign of Gerard. Though he knew this was probably a bad idea, especially after his experiences after the Paramour, Mikey knew that he might be able to find Gerard if he found the source of the crying. Turning his head, he tried to figure out which direction the sound was loudest and once he found it, he began to follow the sound. He wondered if Gerard had also woken to the crying and went to investigate, but doubted it. Gerard had been terribly spooked by his missing memory of what happened earlier and probably would have stayed in bed, so why was he gone now? What would have caused him to leave the bed? It made no sense to Mikey, so hopefully the source of the crying would give him some answers. And as he got closer to the source, Mikey could make out words between fearful and sad cries.

 _“Gee, please! You have to stop!”_ sobbed the voice, sounding like that of a young boy, _“You are my brother! Why did you doing this?! ”_ The cries quickly turned into a shriek, causing Mikey to break into a run until he came to a door where the sounds had been the loudest, and then they stopped. Nervous and frightened but wanting to know what had made the source of the noise, Mikey reached out and opened the door. The room seemed different than a normal one, even though he had never been in here before, and there was a strange feeling to it. The bed was smaller than others he had seen, looking more like a servant's bed, but at the end of the footboard was a symbol of a spider, the crest of Spidantia. He had noticed that it was similar to the one that was carved into Gervasius' bed and wondered if this was Montresor's old room.

The room also held a fireplace and several bookshelves, many more than Gervasius', and there was a haze to it, as if it was hot in there and hard to see, though it wasn't. Seeing some movement out of the corner of his eye, Mikey looked to the bed to see a young boy sleeping in it. He thought he would have noticed when he had looked at the bed the first time, but it seems he hadn't. Then, behind him, there was a knock. Turning around, the younger Way found that the door had closed behind him without a sound.

 _“Mm? Who is it?”_ called the boy, who sat up in bed. His voice sounded distorted, like Mikey was hearing it through a pipe or something.

 _“Gee.”_ answered someone from the other side of the door, also with the same distortion. The door then opened and in came a boy slightly older than the one in bed, where Mikey was startled to find that he looked just like the one in the portrait in Gervasius' room. The boy in bed also looked just like Montresor, now that he thought about it.

“What the hell is going on?” Mikey spoke, but it didn't seem to disturb Gervasius and Montresor.

 _“What are you doing up, brother?”_ asked Montresor, _“It is quite late and you have to practice your duties tomorrow, do you not?”_

 _“Yes, but I could not sleep.”_ Gervasius closed the door behind him with his foot while one hand was behind his back. There was an ominous click, as if the door had been locked. Mikey didn't like what was going on and tried the door, but found it locked. Whatever was happening, he would have to go through with it before he could possibly get out. He remembered experiences like this from the Paramour and still didn't like it. And now that he was behind Gervasius, Mikey's blood ran cold as he saw the knife held in the boy's hidden hand. Leo had been right, Gervasius _had_ murdered his brother. And Mikey had a front-row seat to watch it happen.

 _“Why did you lock the door?”_ Apparently Montresor had heard it too.

 _“So we would not be disturbed.”_   Gervasius began walking towards his brother and Mikey wanted to do something, to stop the young mad king or to tell Montresor to leave, but he knew there was nothing he could do, because this was only a ghostly memory.

 _“Brother, I do not like that look in your eyes...”_ Montresor moved away from the side of the bed nearest to Gervasius nervously, _“And what do you have behind your back?”_

 _“Just a gift.”_ Though Mikey couldn't see it from his angle, Gervasius gave a wicked grin and drew out the knife. Montresor's eyes widened and he drew in a breath to say something, to scream, but Mikey watched hopelessly as Gervasius ran forward and grabbed the tassel that hung above the bed, wrapping it tightly around Montresor's neck. The younger, brown-haired boy gasped and tried ripping it away, unable to breathe, but that was the least of his worries as Gervasius finally got down to what he had been planning: stabbing his little brother in the back. Mikey so badly wanted to turn away or close his eyes and not watch, but found that it was impossible. He was rooted to the spot, frozen and feeling sick as he heard the thunks and rips of flesh as Gervasius continued to plunge the knife into Montresor's back.

 _“I am truly sorry about this, Monty.”_ Gervasius spoke at last as he let go of the tassel, where the upper part on Montresor's bleeding body hit the stone floor, _“But I cannot let anyone stand in the way of my throne. I am doing this for Ferdinand.”_ And then the older prince left the room, going past Mikey as he opened and closed the door with ease. Mikey felt sick after watching the brutal murder, but when he saw Montresor still moving, he went over to see what was going on. He found the younger prince writing words in blood on the floor, as if it was his warning to others. 'Помоги мне' was soon spelled out, but that was as far as Montresor got before he finally collapsed.

Mikey gave a step back in fright as his vision seemed to suddenly clear up, and then Montresor was gone. The covers were fixed, as if no one had been sleeping there, but Помоги мне was still spelt into the floor, but looked more black now than the red it should have been if it was fresh or even freshly-dried. Running to the door, Mikey found it unlocked and left the room quickly. He was scared and now wanted to leave the castle, because he had a bad feeling that he might get the same fate as poor Montresor later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Помоги мне = Help me (Russian)
> 
> I had wanted to use Old East Slavic instead of Russian for what Montresor wrote, but seeing as that wasn't an option in Google Translate, I hope that this is close enough.
> 
> And if I made any mistakes, please tell me and I'll fix them. This is also on Fanfiction.net if you want to read it there instead.
> 
> Also, if you can figure out where I got the name 'Montresor,' good job! I'll give you a hint, it's in an Edgar Allen Poe short story.


	3. Mikey Might Be A Dead Man Walking

“Frank! Frank, wake up!” Mikey was trying to shake his friend awake after his encounter of what he could only guess was Montresor's ghost.

“Wha-? What the fuck is it, Mikey?” Frank asked, rubbing his eyes as he sat up, “Don't tell me Gee conned you into getting me out of bed, too.”

“This place is haunted!” hissed the younger Way, “I just saw what happened to Montresor!”

“You did?” Frank was now looking a bit less angry and a bit more frightened, “Where's Gerard?”

“What do you-” It then hit Mikey that part of the rest he had gotten up before was to look for his brother. He hadn't found Gerard, he had ran straight back here after his encounter, “Damn it! I'd meant to find him, but then I saw ghosts and-”

“Hey, hey!” Frank grabbed ahold of Mikey's shoulders, “It's okay! Whatever happened, it wasn't your fault. Tell me what happened.”

“I-I heard crying, and when I got up I found Gerard gone. I followed the noise to see if he had followed it too and then I saw how Montresor got murdered. It was Gervasius and then after it was over, I came here.” Mikey ran a hand through his hair, “I completely forgot to look for Gerard after that.”

“Calm down, okay? I'll get dressed, we'll get Ray and Bob, and then we'll go look for him together. That okay with you?”

“Yeah, yeah it is...” Frank nodded.

“Good.” The smaller man shivered as well when his bare feet hit the stone floor, but he quickly dressed while Mikey waited. The taller of the two wasn't about to go out into the halls again alone.

“Ready?” Mikey asked.

“Yep.” The two then left the room and went down the hall towards the room where Ray and Bob were, “Where do you think Gee could have gone?”

“I don't know, but I don't think he went of his own free will. He was pretty spooked about not knowing how he got to Gervasius' room.”

“Think this might result in another memory loss episode?”

“Maybe.” Mikey wasn't so sure, though, “He's never sleepwalked before, either, so...could Gervasius be here and possessing Gerard?”

“Let's not jump to conclusions.” Frank had been thinking the same thing, though, “Let's just get the guys and find him first.”

* * *

Blank eyes stared straight ahead as he walked down the hall, no thought to where he was going. There was literally no thought at all to anything, because he wasn't in control. Gervasius was and he didn't know it. Not like he could, he was asleep, which allowed the ghost king to possess his body quite easily.

Soon enough the ghost-possessed man came to the security room and opened the door, which was unlocked. No one was there, Gervasius knew from observing, and he entered. He used the man's fingers on the keyboard to type in codes, where 'ALARMS DEACTIVATED' popped up on a computer screen. The man then stood and left the room, heading elsewhere at Gervasius' command and coming to the Hall of History. The ghost-possessed man walked down the hall, stopping in front of the black tapestry that showed the fight of Gervasius and Percival. The case holding the sword was locked, but the man had taken the keys from the security room before he had left, taking them out now to open the case. The red ruby hilt glinted in the moonlight as he opened the case and took the sword and sheath.

 _ **“** **I have to make this fair, Montresor.”**_ The man spoke, but his own voice was layered over with another's, making it sound like it was in stereo. He put the sheath around his waist and drew out the sword, which didn't make a sound despite how the years had passed. The sword also hadn't rusted and was still in amazing shape, though it looked like it could use a little sharpening. It wouldn't need to be sharpened for what Gervasius had in mind, though, _**“Time to die once again, little brother.”**_

* * *

“Okay, so where do we start?” After Ray and Bob had been awoken, told the story, and gotten dressed, the four were now out in the hall, trying to figure out where the start looking.

“Maybe in the Hall of History. We all know where that is and it leads to the other wings.” Frank said, “There's also the Spidantia wing, but I doubt Gerard would have gone back there.”

“Alright, Hall of History it is.” Bob said, and then they began walking to the large hall. But as they turned a corner, they saw something that chilled them and spooked Mikey the most. There was a little boy at the end of the hall, and he seemed to have a small glow around him. He also looked just like Montresor, so Mikey supposed the boy had to be his ghost. The ghost had been looking around the next corner before he suddenly turned to them and even from there they could see that the boy was scared. No one moved.

“Y-you're Montresor.” Mikey could barely speak, “I-I saw your memory, of how you were killed. You're _him_ , you were the one I heard crying.”

 _“That is right.”_ the small voice was slightly distorted, but not enough for them not to make it out, _“But you have to leave. Gervasius is coming!”_

“Mikey.” Frank squeaked and had a tight hold on the younger Way's arm, “We should leave, like he said.”

“But what about Gerard?” Mikey swallowed, “And there's no danger yet. We all agreed we would stay unless we saw danger, and there isn't any.”

 _“There is!”_ Montresor's voice was higher now, sounding scared, _“Gervasius is coming! You must run!”_ Suddenly another person turned the corner and they realized what Montresor had been talking about. It was Gerard in his skeleton pajamas, but it also _wasn't_. Gerard didn't have glowing red eyes, but a certain crazy king did. In his right hand was a sword with red rubies in the hilt and the sheath around his waist.

 _“Run.”_ was the last thing Montresor said before disappearing. The possessed man's eyes flicked from the gone ghost boy to the band and he smiled charmingly with Gerard's smile, but they knew it wasn't their frontman who was in control.

 _ **“** **Evening, gentlemen.”**_ he bowed, _**“Mikey, is it not? Could you please come to my side so I may run you through with my sword? I have no one I wish to fight against with the exception of you, because I cannot have a reincarnation of my younger brother interfering with what I am planning.”** _ Gervasius raised the sword to point at them, _**“If you stay out of my way, I will let most of you live. However, Mikey must die, so give him to me.”**_

“RUN!” No one was sure who had shouted the word, but they all took off in the opposite direction.

 _“This way!”_ Suddenly Montresor was with them, and they followed, knowing that he would help them. After all, he had tried to warn them of Gervasius. Doors slammed and locked behind them with Montresor's powers, impeding Gervasius, but he easily unlocked and opened them with his own ghostly powers, running right behind them. And for a possessed man in baggy pajamas, Gerard could run _fast_. And the sword was flashing as it swiped through the light, trying to hit them, any of them, making it so fucking _scary_ -

And then he woke up.

* * *

When Gerard woke up, he found himself not in his room, but locked in an older room with no windows and stone walls. There was a light in the ceiling and a single door with bars on its window. He guessed he was in the dungeons, but why here? He hadn't come down here, that much he remembered, because he _knew_ he had gone to bed, so what was going on?

“You're awake.” someone spoke from the other side of the door, a familiar voice that he was too tired to identify.

“Of course I am! Why the fuck am I here?” Gerard growled, not wanting to be played with. There was some whispering on the other side and a click as the door was unlocked, revealing Mikey and Frank.

“You're back to normal, good.” Mikey sighed, running a hand through his hair, “You scared us last night, you know.”

“Gervasius possessed you.” Frank explained, “We managed to trick him into coming in here before locking the door, but I don't think he's going to fall for it a second time.”

“You're not serious, are you?” Gerard's mood quickly fell and he felt horrible that he had possibly attacked his friends and brother. Had any of them been hurt?

“You've still got his sword and sheath around your waist.” Frank pointed out. The older Way looked down to see the shorter man was right and quickly took off the sheath, throwing the items to the other side of the room.

“Did I- did I hurt anyone?”

“No.” Mikey shook his head, “But Gervasius wanted me dead. He said he had something planned and needed me out of the way, so this isn't going to be the last we'll see of him.”

“We should leave, then.” Gerard shakily stood.

“...We can't.” Frank muttered. Gerard stared at him.

“What do you mean 'we can't'?!”

“Gervasius locked the doors and took the keys. We can't get out of here until we find them.” Frank said, “So, do you remember anything? Possibly where he hid them?”

“No, I don't remember a fucking thing.” Gerard took a step toward them and froze when he saw them take a step back, “...Maybe I should stay in here.”

“No, no it's okay.” Mikey shook his head, he didn't want his brother to feel like they were afraid of him (while they actually were, but it was mostly towards Gervasius and since the two looked exactly alike, it didn't help matters), “Come upstairs with us, we've got a lot of things to do.”

“A-alright.” Gerard went and grabbed the sheath and held it in his hand as he went to join his friend and his brother. He stopped when he saw they weren't alone, that there was a ghostly boy standing in the hall with them.

 _“Hello.”_ the boy smiled shyly, _“I am Montresor.”_

“He's agreed to help us deal with Gervasius and knows more about the castle than anyone.” Frank said as he and Mikey saw the fear that spread across the elder Way's face, “I promise, he's not going to hurt us. He helped us deal with you while you were under Gervasius' control, after all.” Gerard didn't say anything, continuing to stare at the ghost boy in fear and apprehension.

“We also called Pete and asked him and his band to come here, see if they could open the castle from the outside somehow.” Mikey added, “It's a long shot, but it's better than being stuck in here. This is way too much like the Paramour and we all want to get out of here as quickly as we can.”

“T-that's good.” Gerard slowly nodded, finally taking his eyes off Montresor, who wasn't bothered by the other's fear. He was used to appearing in front of guests and accidentally scaring them, after all.

“But wait a second.” Something suddenly occurred to the older brother, “What about the other guests, the staff?”

“That's just it.” Frank said quietly, “After locking you in here, we searched the castle but everyone was gone. We're in here alone with a murderous ghost, Gerard, and it doesn't look like we're going to get out of here until he's done with us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this seems rushed, but what do you think? Montresor has appeared for real and is going to do his best to help the band, Gervasius has appeared for the first time and has trapped them, and Fall Out Boy is coming to the rescue! I hope you like this chapter, Youngbloods and Killjoys, but if I've made a mistake, please tell me and I'll fix it.


	4. Beastly Tales

After Gerard had gotten changed with a guard (which was Frank, as they wanted to keep an eye on him in case Gervasius returned and there was the possibility the ghost king wouldn't hurt the guy who looked just like the king he was once obsessed with) and the sword was put back, they decided to go to the security room to see if they could catch a glimpse of Gervasius. They probably wouldn't, but it was at least worth a shot. Ray and Mikey also went off to find some chains and lock with Montresor's help so they could keep the swords in their cases. From what the young ghost prince had told them, ghosts couldn't pick things up but used the air around them to move things, such as to open or close a door and even manipulate locks. So Gervasius could just unlock anything he wanted, but he couldn't pick up anything without a vessel. That made getting the chains and locks pretty pointless, but they were going to do whatever they could to at least slow Gervasius down.

“Alright, I'll rewind to last night.” Bob sat down on the chair in front of the screens and was instantly typing away. Sometimes it was good to have a tech guy as a drummer, such as now. As he searched through the footage, Gerard and Frank watched as well until the elder noticed something off to the side. Eyes lighting up, he got Frank's attention and gestured to the object. Frank gave him a skeptical look, but followed him over to the object.

“I can't get anything on Gervasius, but I do see when he got a hol-” Bob stopped speaking when he saw his bandmates over to the side, “What the hell are you two doing?”

“Handcuffs.” Gerard held up his wrists, where Frank had just put the restraints around them, “Just as a precaution.”

“Alright. Get over here so you can pay attention.” the two did so, allowing him to continue, “Like I was saying, I can't get an actual picture of Gervasius yet, maybe if I enhance the video I might, but for now, I've got the time of when Gerard was possessed.”

“Which is?” Frank gestured for him to keep speaking.

“About 10:33 last night, long after we went to bed.” Bob pointed to one of the screens, “And watch here. Tell me I'm not the only one who sees it.” He hit play and the screen showed a camera that was in the hallway just outside the room where Gerard, Mikey, and Frank were sleeping. Suddenly there was a click on the audio and the door slowly opened, where Gerard stepped out. When he did, he looked at the camera and gave a smile. His eyes were glowing red, but there was a slight foggy look to his face, as if they were looking at him through frosted glass. The fog also looked sort of solid and pale, as if there was another face hovering over Gerard's own. But then it was gone as suddenly as it appeared and the man left, going down the hall.

“What time did Mikey get up?” The older Way asked.

“10:46, a little over ten minutes later, and then he woke all of us up at 10:55.” Bob had already checked those times, “Then you chased us all over the place until we locked you in the dungeon at about 11:12. You stay possessed for a while, I'm not sure how long.”

“Gervasius looks pissed.” Frank noted as Bob went through the footage of Gervasius in the cell. The small guitarist wasn't wrong, as Gervasius used Gerard's body to pace the room. At around 3:28, the possessed man looked up at the camera, snarled, and threw the sword. The camera then cut out to static.

“But if he can open doors with his ghostly powers, like he was doing while chasing you guys, why didn't he use them there?” Gerard asked (they had told him a bit about what he had done while possessed).

“Don't know.” Bob said, “Maybe we can ask Montresor. Hopefully he knows.”

“Hopefully.” Frank agreed.

* * *

_“Paul?” Percival had gone to see his friend as soon as Gervasius had left, not wanting the mad king to hear of it while he was still at the castle._

_“Yes?” asked the elder, laying on the bed in his room and reading a scroll. Like Percival, he had his own un-kingly quirks that he didn't show often. Tollin was at the end of the bed, sleeping soundly._

_“I am worried about what to do if Ferdinand dies. You have read the scroll, correct?”_

_“Yes, I have.” Paul sighed and put away the scroll he had been reading, “As for Gervasius...My only advice would be to observe him. I would not be shocked to find that he becomes madder if Ferdinand dies.”_

_“What do you mean? You believe he is already not right in the head?”_

_“Of course.” Paul nodded, “Did you not hear of his brother?”_

_“Yes, young Montresor...” Percival frowned, “Do you believe Gervasius was the one who ended his life?”_

_“I am almost certain of it.” Paul snapped his fingers, awakening Tollin. The huge black deer yawned and blinked, wondering what his partner wanted, “Tollin and I are leaving to store away the poisons so Gervasius cannot get to them. Would you and Solis like to come with us?”_

_“Sadly, we cannot.” Percival shook his head, “I must do some hearings for my people in a short while, and you know how long that can take.” Paul gave him a sympathetic smile._

_“Good luck.” he said, “I am sure you will need it.”_

_“Thank you, Paul.” Percival bowed before turning and leaving. Tollin stood and went to his master's side, where Paul rubbed the deer's antlers._

_“I know.” Paul answered the unspoken question, “I am afraid myself that hiding the poisons will not stop him. Nothing may stop him at all, with whatever he does when he returns. But, as his friends, it is our job to keep him in check.” Paul gave a sigh, “There is so much to think about and not enough time, Tollin. There may never be enough time.”_

* * *

_“I curse damnation on all of their heads!”_ Gervasius snarled, stalking the library, _“Except for Ferdinand's, of course. He has no reason to be damned, even if he is on their side.”_ He had tuned himself to where only other ghosts could see him, but he was so furious at this point he wouldn't be surprised if a human saw him because he lost control of his tuning. He had done everything to trap them here last night, but then Montresor had to come along and help them! He knew he should have gotten rid of the little ghost brat a long time ago, and now the consequences were biting him in the ass.

 _“If only Romulus was here, he would keep that little vexation in check!”_ Gervasius threw back an arm and across the shelves, scrolls and books went flying, _“What I wish to do to him I cannot do because it would take me away as well, which is quite unfortunate. I must find away to trap Monty so he cannot interfere, but how?”_ Suddenly there was a noise and Gervasius turned his head to see Ray, Mikey, and Montresor enter the room. He frowned and growled, knowing he couldn't do anything to stop them right now, so he turned and walked through the wall to leave them alone.

“It looks like a tornado went through here.” Ray and Mikey were wary to step into the threshold of the library after seeing the destruction.

 _“He is not here.”_ Montresor assured, _“I cannot see or sense him.”_

“Alright...” The two living men slowly followed the ghost boy into the room, Mikey speaking, “I can understand having all the books, but what's with the scrolls?”

 _“They are the original books. After the castle was found, they were all translated into books.”_ Ray picked up a random scroll and opened it. Immediately he closed it.

“I can see that.” he muttered, “It looked Greek to me.”

_“It is East Slavic, not Greek.”_

“It's an expression, Montresor.” Mikey gave a smile to the young ghost, “It means that the language is so foreign to us it looks like gibberish.”

 _“Ah.”_ Montresor gave a nod of understanding and moved his hand. The men shivered as a cold wind came into the room and the books and scrolls flew into the air. But instead of landing on the floor in a pile, they all landed on a large, long table in uncertain rows.

 _“I am sorry that it is not in order, but it is hard to control our powers for precision.”_ Montresor spoke, _“And may I ask why we are here? There are no chains and locks in this room.”_

“Yeah, but that's not why.” Ray put the scroll he had picked up with the others on the table, “Mikey?”

“We kind of think that these books might help us learn more about this place.” the younger Way joined him and began looking through the books, “We appreciate your help, Montresor, but we're afraid you may not know everything.” The ghost crossed his arms, slightly irritated, but except for the movement, his face was blank.

_“I may be at seven springs of age, but that does not mean I would know less than those books. I can read East Slavic and speak it if you may need it. I am more useful than any book!”_

“That reminds me, how can you speak English?” Ray questioned, “I mean, most of the people who have been in here are Russian, so it makes sense you can speak that, but why English?”

 _“I study.”_ Another wave of his hand and a book flew off a shelf, hitting Ray in the head. Mikey chuckled while Ray rubbed his head and picked up the book. The title was 'Английский для чайников' with 'English for Dummies' underneath, which caused Mikey to laugh even more.

“I keep getting the feeling you're like a younger Mikey.” Ray said, glaring at the ghost, “You've got that poker face and everything!”

_“What is a poker face?”_

“Nevermind...”

“What's this?” Mikey mused as he came across a strange book, “It looks like a recipe book.”

_“That could be the Poison List.”_

“The 'Poison List?'” The men shared uneasy glances.

 _“Yes.”_ Montresor nodded and sat on the edge of the table easily, though the floor was about a foot or more below him, _“Spidantia and Scorxus were once known for their poisons, and because they were so close, they made a list of the different poisons they had created.”_

“It looks like most of these use poisons from spiders and scorpions, though.” Mikey was confused, “Neither can live in a place this cold, I'm sure.”

 _“Our kingdoms were once known for our animals. Do 'Spidantia' and 'Spider' not sound alike? Many of the animals have died out, but they were once great.”_ Montresor gave a sigh of sadness, _“I miss Remus, he would be able to prove you wrong.”_

“Remus?” Ray asked.

 _“My spider partner. I have not seen him since I died, but I am sure that he is a ghost like me, somewhere in this castle. All of the kings once had their own animal partners, not just my brother and I.”_ Montresor shook his head, _“Romulus, like his master, was also cruel. He ate poor Remus after I died at my brother's request, but he also roams these halls as a ghost. All of the animals do except Solis.”_

“Hold on a sec.” Ray held up a hand, “Look, why don't you tell this to everyone, once we're back together? That way you won't have to say all of this twice.”

_“Okay. That is fine with me.”_

“Good.” Mikey nodded and the two men went back to looking through the books for ones they could take back and show the others.

* * *

“I hate the reception here.” Pete glared at his phone before looking out the window again, where snow blew past as fast as it would in a blizzard. Fall Out Boy had been planning on starting their own tour of Asia a week before My Chemical Romance, but after Mikey had called for help, the tour was immediately postponed. Mikey hadn't given him all the details, only stating that the band was stuck inside an old hotel-museum castle called Four Corners and was wondering if FOB could come by and open the place from the outside. Pete had agreed and dragged his band along for the ride, but something about the way Mikey spoke left the bassist on edge.

“You've been saying that for the past hour.” Patrick pointed out. The lead singer was sitting beside him in the back of the car they had rented, Joe and Andy in front with the drummer driving.

“I know, but I don't like this.” Pete muttered, turning to him, “It's been a long time since Warped 2005, but we're still friends and I didn't like how his voice sounded.”

“I bet he just said that to see us again.” Joe commented, “Though I gotta admit, it's not like him.”

“Well, you've still got a few hours to keep trying.” Andy said, “The map shows we're nowhere near Four Corners yet.”

“How do you know? Isn't it in Russian?” Pete asked.

“We got an English version.” Joe said, “We always come prepared!” Pete rolled his eyes and Patrick shook his head while things became quiet again. The younger of the two took off his fedora and sighed.

“You sure that's all?” he whispered to Pete, who had turned back to the window, “There's nothing more to it?”

“Yeah. That's it.” Patrick stared at his friend, knowing that couldn't be all that was bothering Pete, but didn't want to upset his friend or get Joe and Andy involved, so he let it be. He did continue to sneak glances at Pete, however, as if trying to keep an eye on his friend and see if he could tell what was bothering the elder. Pete had kept things from them before and Patrick didn't like it, considering what had happened one of those times, so he wanted to do his best to help the man with the dyed blond hair with whatever demons plagued him at this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The element of fantasy has finally come into play! I thought it would be weird if all the kingdoms had an animal motif but there was no reason why, so hopefully this adds some insight to it. There will be more talk of Tollin, Remus, Romulus, and Solis later.
> 
> Fall Out Boy finally has a scene and more is explained about the powers of the ghosts. I hope you like this, Youngbloods and Killjoys, and I'm thinking of adding some of my stories (possibly all of them) from FanFiction.net, so keep an eye out. And if I made a mistake, please tell me and I'll fix it.


	5. Not Much To See Here

_“Hello again.”_ Montresor greeted after he, Mikey, and Ray returned to the security room. Gerard glanced at the young ghost and moved away slightly, uneasily. The others may have been used to having Montresor around, even though it had been for just a few hours, but Gerard wasn't. In fact, out of all of them, _Mikey_ should have been the one who was the most fearful. But he seemed to be the most comfortable with Montresor, possibly because the ghost boy looked a lot like him when he was younger. Except, unlike Mikey, Gerard had every reason to be afraid of ghosts because one possessed him and tried to kill his friends using him. If _that_ didn't give him a reason to not be near Montresor, then nothing did.

“What's with the handcuffs?” Mikey had caught sight of the metal things around his brother's wrists immediately.

“Gerard's idea.” Bob and Frank chorused. Mikey rolled his eyes as Ray shook his head at the antics.

“Well, we've got some books and stories for you guys.” Ray put his stack of books on the floor, “Montresor?”

 _“I was telling them about the Poison List and the animals that once lived here.”_ explained the ghost boy, _“Ray asked me to repeat what I have said when we were together again and continue on once that happened so I would not have to repeat it all over again.”_ He then recounted everything that he had spoken of to Mikey and Ray, finishing with, _“Now would you like me to tell you about Solis?”_

“Hold on.” Frank held up a hand and his face was white, “There are _ghost spiders_ roaming the halls?”

_“Of course. Are you afraid?”_

“The hell I am!” Frank ran shaking hands through his hair, “Great, just great...”

“Easy.” Bob rubbed his friend's back, trying to calm him. Gerard would have done it, but it would have been uncomfortable for both of them because of the handcuffs.

 _“I have not seen another this fearful since Paul's encounter with a bear on the grounds.”_ Montresor muttered, _“He would never go into Percival's room to see the dead animal because he was so afraid.”_

“It's called a phobia.” Mikey told the ghost, “It's a deep-rooted fear that usually lasts the entirety of a person's life. Frank, in this case, is very scared of spiders.”

 _“I see.”_ Montresor gave the small man a pitying look, _“I am all the more sorry for you.”_

“Off the topic of ghost spiders, who is Solis?” Gerard asked, wanting to help Frank calm down.

 _“A phoenix. Because she cannot die, she is the only one left alive that roams these halls. Though, I have not seen her in a while. But that is understandable, since she almost never leaves the Phonicamy Tower.”_ The band knew what he was talking about, since Four Corners had only one tower, but they were still confused.

“A phoenix?” Ray exclaimed, “Those don't exist.” Montresor gave him a look and crossed his arms.

_“Solis does and is proof. Phoenixes lived all over Phonicamy, long ago, but left after the kingdom was gone. Solis is the only one that is left that I know of.”_

“And you said Remus and Romulus were once partners to you and Gervasius, right?” Bob asked, “What about the other kings? Did they have animal partners too?”

 _“Yes. Solis was with Percival, Ferdinand had Axal, and Paul had Tollin.”_ Montresor gave a sigh, _“I have not seen Axal or Tollin, however, so they might have moved on when they died, but I do not believe so. I sometimes get feelings when I do not see another ghost and I imagine it is them. It certainly is not my brother, of that I am sure.”_

“Maybe.” Mikey turned to Ray, “Let's keep looking for locks and chains. We can't let that bastard get the best of us.”

“Right.”

“Wait!” Gerard spoke, “We also came across something we'd like to ask.” He then nudged Frank so he wouldn't have to talk to Montresor. The younger man glared at his friend but spoke anyway.

“If Gervasius was able to use his ghost powers while he was chasing us, why didn't he use them while stuck in the cell?”

 _“Underground, we do not do well.”_ the young ghost looked down, _“We become weaker and it becomes harder to use our powers. We can even get stuck in a locked room if we become weak enough.”_

“Do you know what causes it?” asked Ray.

_“Not at all, but that is the only place I believe you will be truly safe. Gervasius may venture down there, but he cannot do much, if anything at all. You should go down and stay there tonight.”_

“Tonight? Why not now?” asked Mikey.

_“Ghosts become more powerful at night for some reason. That is when most people tend to see us and our powers are stronger, even underground, but not too much.”_

“Thanks for the info, then.” Gerard muttered, “I guess I'll head back down there so I don't hurt anyone.”

“I'll come with you.” Frank went to his side.

“But what about Bob? I don't want anyone to be alone while Gervasius is roaming the place, just in case he tries to kill one of you guys again.”

 _“I can do that.”_ Montresor offered.

“But you know where the chains and locks are, so how about I stay here and Ray goes with Montresor?”

“Fine with me.” Bob nodded in agreement, as did Ray.

“Then it's settled.” Frank said, knowing Gerard would object. He grabbed the older man's arm, “See you in a few!” then dragged Gerard with him out of the room.

“See you guys soon.” Ray and Montresor also left, leaving the bassist and drummer.

“...Bob?”

“Yeah?”

“I called Pete earlier, asking if he could help us get out. But now, I'm not so sure that's a good idea. What if Gervasius tries to murder Fall Out Boy too?” Mikey sighed, “You saw the portraits. Patrick's a dead man if Gervasius sees him and I'm pretty sure he'll kill Pete just to get back at Patrick.”

“You could call back and tell them not to come.” Bob added under his breath, “I'm surprised you could get reception out here.”

“Right, I'll try that.” Mikey opened his phone and prepared to call Pete (pausing when he saw he had no reception) when he got a call himself. It was an unknown number, but he answered, curious about who was on the other line. There was some static, and then a voice hissed softly through the speakers.

 _“You...will die. And Gerard...will do it.”_ The phone then buzzed with the dial tone and Mikey slowly pulled it away from his ear, hair standing up on his neck.

“Who was it?” Bob questioned, having heard the ring of Mikey's phone before the younger Way had answered.

“Gervasius.” was the only word he said, face white. He knew Gervasius was out to get him, but hearing the ghost's actual voice (which sounded all too much like Gerard's), the threat itself, and knowing Gervasius could call him again _at any time_ and without reception really put him on edge.

* * *

“We're here.” spoke Andy. There was no wind outside but snow was falling on the castle. Both Pete and Patrick had bad feelings about the place, even though they hadn't stepped a foot inside yet. Joe went over and tried the huge double doors.

“Locked.” he said after they didn't budge, “Think there's a back door?”

“It's a _castle_. Why the hell would there be one?” Andy glared at Joe, crossing his arms from the front seat.

“It's been renovated, so they might have added one. C'mon, let's drive around back.” Joe returned to the car, where the others had stayed. As Andy began driving again, the other two men couldn't move their eyes away from the grand piece of architecture in front of them.

“I don't like this.” Patrick muttered, “I don't like it one bit.”

“So do I.” Pete agreed, “Why the fuck did they choose this nightmare to stay in, of all places?”

“Don't judge a book by its cover, you two.” Joe said, “I'm sure it's not as bad as you think it is.” Patrick and Pete were inclined to disagree when suddenly there was a huge gust of wind and a cracking sound. Andy stopped the car and a tree fell where they wound have been in a few seconds, had the car kept going forward.

“...Wanna rephrase that statement?” Pete asked quietly, all of them staring with wide eyes at the huge tree that had fallen. It looked like it could be 10 feet around at least and would have most certainly crushed and killed them, had they been under it.

“Just a freak accident.” Joe turned to Andy, “Think you can get around it or will we have to go the other way around the castle?”

“No way.” the drummer shook his head, “That thing looks as big as a redwood. There's no way we're getting past it.”

“Can we check the front doors again?” Patrick suddenly asked as Andy began to turn the car around, “I just get the feeling we might be able to open them this time.”

“We could try.” Pete shrugged, “They could just be stuck and if we tug on 'em enough, they'll open.”

“Worth a shot.” Andy agreed. Joe didn't speak, as he was sure the doors had been locked and unfrozen when he had tried. But he didn't want to dampen their spirits. Once they were in front of the castle again, Patrick ran up and tried the doors. To their surprise, the huge wooden slabs opened easily. The other guys got out of the car (after Andy turned it off) and ran inside after their lead singer, happy for the warmth.

“Well, I don't see why Mikey said he was stuck here. The doors weren't locked-” Suddenly the doors slammed behind them, “-at all.” Patrick tried the doors again before looking back at his friends with scared eyes.

“They're locked.”

* * *

“Hey, look!” It was several hours later after Mikey had looked through the books, Ray and Montresor had returned and locked up the swords, Gerard was locked in the dungeon cell from before, and Frank had rejoined them. Bob was pointing to one of the camera that showed outside and a car had come up to the front of the castle.

“I think that's Joe!” Frank said excitedly as the FOB member got out of the car. Joe tried opening the door but, being unsuccessful, went back to the car. It began moving again and Bob followed it with the cameras until Montresor gasped.

 _“Gervasius!”_ The living men saw no sign of the ghost but there was definitely a large gust of wind and a tree crashed down in front of the car.

“Close one.” MCR breathed sighs of relief for their friends. After a minute or two the car turned around and went back to the front, where Patrick then got out of the car and tried the doors. Much to MCR's surprise, the doors opened at his touch and FOB ran inside. There had been no audio outside but now that the band was inside, Pete could be heard speaking until the doors suddenly shut. And Patrick's words after trying the doors again spooked MCR.

“Great, now they're trapped in here with us.” Mikey muttered.

“Here, I'll go down and get them.” Ray offered.

“I'll go with you.” Frank joined him and the two left the room.

 _“Gervasius caused the tree to fall.”_ Montresor said, _“I saw him do it.”_

“But I thought ghosts could only haunt certain places.” Bob pointed out.

_“Not this place. We can leave the castle for only a few steps before we cannot go farther, but our powers can reach beyond that.”_

“They're just lucky they aren't dead.” Mikey was glad that FOB was okay, but was worried for them, especially Patrick and Pete. Now the band was involved in the same nightmare MCR was trapped in with no escape in sight.

“What the-?!” Suddenly the cameras began to cut out and the computers shut down, as did the bulb that lit up the room.

_“Gervasius is cutting the power! Gerard must be loose!”_

“Oh no...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, but this is only a filler for the most part. FOB has finally come into the castle (which I hope isn't rushing it) and Gervasius has a hold on Gerard again. What's he going to do this time? And what was the plan he mentioned before? Can't tell you, it would be a spoiler, but I hope you like it!


	6. Move Your Body When The Sunlight Dies

Gerard was sitting against the wall, arms crossed above his knees, which were against his chest. He was more scared than he had shown or told the others, because not even Mikey seemed to notice how fearful he was. Outside, he looked nervous and jumpy, but on the inside, he was worrying himself to death. There was a ghost around that could possess him and that wanted to kill his friends. He also had no way to defend himself from the demon that called itself Gervasius (Gerard refused to acknowledge the homicidal maniac as a person), which made things all the more worse. Maybe, when his friends came to check on him, he would ask if they could find holy items that would help keep Gervasius away. It would also keep Montresor away, but Gerard saw no problem in keeping himself ghost free, especially if it saved the lives of his friends. Suddenly, the light bulb flickered above him and the cell went cold, causing him to shiver. He wasn't just shaking from the cold, though, because the only reason it would have suddenly dropped so quickly was because a ghost had entered the room. Eyes wide, he glanced around quickly, trying to spot any sign of it, see if it was Gervasius or another ghost (he didn't think it was Montresor because the ghost boy would have revealed himself).

 _“Why do you fight me?”_ came a murmur to his ear. Gerard shot away from the whisper and scrambled backward, struggling with the handcuffs around his wrists. The voice had sounded _way_ too much like his own and he hated it. But that also confirmed one thing: Gervasius was here. The hidden ghost gave a small chuckle at his fright before revealing himself. He was glowing softly in an ethereal light, the dark and light of his clothes fighting for control of Gerard's eyes.

Gervasius certainly had Gee's face, but he had glowing red eyes instead, as seen times before, and wore the outfit he had probably died in. Around him was a black robe on the outside, but had a white inside with red splotches at the ends, possibly blood that had caught in it and dried. It was split into three parts, open at the front and on the sides, with a golden tassel on the shoulders circling around (and was that a Misfits symbol in gold on the shoulder?), a dark gray fuzz around the neck, and gold trimmings on the shoulders to the neck and collar. Underneath was a frilly dress shirt of white covered by a black vest very reminiscent of the Black Parade jackets. Covering the wrists were silver metal braces engraved with spiders and dotted with blood specks. Over the vest was a red sash that wrapped from Gervasius' bottom left of his chest to top right and also wrapped around like a belt on his waist. He had black pants that seemed silky and tucked into his black boots with blue trimmings. There were two things missing, however, from the outfit: the sword/sheath and crown.

 _“I hope you will cooperate with me, because I have much to do and the Underground does not like working with me.”_ The smile that had been on Gervasius' face when he laughed was now gone and he glared at Gerard.

“No fucking way! I'm not going to hurt my friends and you can't control me. You're weak down here, you can't do much!” Gerard didn't feel as brave as his words suggested, but he tried his best.

 _“Oh really?”_ Gervasius held up a hand and Gerard half expected something to appear in it, but nothing did, _“I can do so much more than you realize, more than even Monty does. He may have been a ghost longer, but I have more control over my powers, which makes me stronger. They can do all they want to keep me away, but they cannot do it forever.”_ Gervasius pointed at the singer, _“Not only do we look alike, you and I have a special connection that I can sense. So does your own brother to Montresor and your friend to Ferdinand. In fact, I believe you may be reincarnations of us. That is also why I must get rid of your brother. He will be such a problem with what is to come.”_

“You stay away from him!” Gerard stood up, fully ready to defend Mikey, no matter the cost.

 _“_ I _am not going to be the one to harm him.”_ Gervasius gave a small grin, _“You are.”_ Before Gerard could do anything, Gervasius quickly stepped forward and, though there was a big struggle, he had a hold on Gerard's body. The image of his face briefly flickered over the singer's before it went away, leaving Gerard's eyes glowing the same red as Gervasius'. The ghost-possessed man grinned, unlocking the cuffs with a flick of his hand (though his powers were weakened, he could still do simple things such as that) and letting them drop before going to the door, raising a leg up and kicking out. Usually the door would have held, but Gervasius had loosened the hinges, allowing the door to go down after a few more kicks. The man flinched, twitching briefly as he closed his eyes, but soon enough he was calm again.

 _ **“** **Ah, brotherly love.”**_ he sighed, opening his eyes, **_“Pity. I have never understood it, as it was what stood in the way of my love the first time. But once Mikey is gone, Gerard will not fight back any more.”_** Gervasius smiled to himself and left, going down the hallway at a run, knowing where he was going. He twitched a few more times, presumably fighting with Gerard for control of the living man's body, but Gervasius won every time. Quickly he was above ground, where his powers were stronger, and headed up to the Phonicamy Tower. That was where the power box for the whole place was and he planned to plunge this place into the dark ages.

The door to the tower squeaked as he forced it open and climbed the stairs that appeared before him. He went up and up and up until he came to a single, large room. It held several old items in it, such as suits of armor and pieces of furniture, and in the ceiling was a trapdoor. However, the trapdoor was padlocked and the lock and hinges rusty, showing that no one was up there or hand been for many, many years. Gervasius ignored it all and went down the cleared path through the miscellaneous to the box on the other side. It wasn't locked and he opened it easily, revealing fuses and wires of all sorts. Reaching inside, the possessed man turned off all the switched one by one until the place was left in total darkness before he began ripping the wires out and crushing the fuses under his feet. But the fuses would have been useless without the wires anyway, but he was making sure. He had disposed of any extra fuses before and with how he was ripping the wires out by their roots, there was no way the living men that were left were going to be able to bring the power back.

Once he was done, he left and went down the tower, preparing to set a few traps before getting his sword back. The new people that had come in he didn't want to bother with, as he believed that they posed no threat to him or Ferdinand at the moment. He would deal with them after he got rid of the rest of MCR.

* * *

“This place gives me the creeps even more, now that we're inside.” Patrick shivered, arms wrapped around his body. The lights in the lobby had suddenly gone out, leaving them with only the sunlight streaming through the windows.

 _“Move your body when the sunlight dies, everybody hide your body-”_ Pete answered the ring of his phone quickly, knowing it as the ringtone he had set for Mikey.

“Strangely appropriate lyrics for the situation...” Andy muttered, thinking about the electrical lights.

“Yeah, Mikey?” Pete answered, but found that his phone was only producing static. He took it away from his ear and glanced at the screen, where it clearly said Mikey was calling. But, from what he could hear, there was nothing on the other side of the line. Strange. Frowning, the man hung up and put his phone away.

“Who was it?” asked Joe.

“Mikey, but I didn't hear anything but static. Weird...”

“Guys!” They all looked up to see Frank and Ray coming towards them at a slight run from the stairs on the right of the lobby. Frank ran past the group and tried the doors again with a cry of frustration while Ray slowed down and sighed.

“Looks like you guys are stuck in here with us.” he said, “Look, we need to get out of here. Not just the lobby but this whole place. It's not safe.”

“Damn it!” Frank kicked the front doors, cursing at how they wouldn't open.

“Where's the rest of the band?” asked Patrick, “Aren't they here too?”

“Yeah, in the security room.” Ray ran a hand through his fro, “We'll explain things later, once everyone's here. It's too dangerous, we need to go!” He began leading the way to the stairs. FOB glanced at one another before Frank pushed Joe and Pete, saying, “Come on, he's going to be here any minute.”

“Who's going to be here?” The band complied at Frank's, pushing, but they were curious at who he meant.

“Not now, get going!” They all stumbled up the stairs and into a large hallway, which creeped them all out.

“Anybody got a light?” complained Andy, who was finding it hard to see when the windows were smaller and the sun was going down, causing less light in the electricity-less building.

“I've got one.” Pete offered, getting it out and flicking it on.

“Here, I've got a better idea.” Patrick had spotted a torch in a bracket and took it out, holding the larger end to Pete's flame. The torch took light and now they could see better in the approaching darkness.

“Good thinking, Patrick.” Ray complimented as Pete put away his lighter, “Didn't even think those things would work.”

“Hey, don't stop now! We've gotta keep going!” Frank growled.

“Sorry!” huffed Joe, where they all continued on with Patrick holding the torch, “Why are you so mad, anyway?”

“I'm not mad, just...anxious. And worried.”

“About what?”

“You'll see soon enough.” Frank spoke and there seemed to be an ominous tone to it. They kept walking until they got to the Hall of History, leaving FOB to gasp at the sight.

“Whoa.” Patrick said, “What is this place?”

“The Hall of History. We'll show you more later, once we're in a safe place.” Ray urged them onward, but they all stopped when one of the doors at the end opened with a creak. Out stepped Gerard, but they couldn't tell much from this distance, as the hall was quite long. However, Frank and Ray knew Gerard being loose meant only one thing.

“BACKPEDAL!” shouted Frank, grabbing the arms of those closest to him, which were Joe and Pete, “BACKPEDAL BACKPEDAL FUCKING BACKPEDAL!” He and Ray (who had grabbed Patrick and Andy) began running the other way through the halls, getting away from Gerard but also getting themselves lost. Once they were sure Gerard wasn't following them, they slowed down and allowed themselves to rest, panting along with FOB. The torch was still alight in Patrick's hand, but no one noticed or cared.

“What the hell was that about?!” snarled Pete, “Why would you run away from your frontman like that?!” The two MCR guitarists shook their heads.

“That wasn't Gerard.” Frank spoke.

“That was Gervasius.” finished Ray.

“Who?” questioned the whole band.

“No time to explain, we've gotta find Mikey, Bob, and Montresor.” Ray looked around, trying to find out where they were. It was very dark here, darker than it should be, and it was very quiet. There was dust on the floor, showing their footprints, as well as on anything else in the vicinity.

“Where the hell are we?” Frank said, “We've never been to this part of the castle and it doesn't look renovated by the others.”

“Must be the Unknown Kingdom section.” Ray reasoned, “Let's follow our footprints and get out of here.”

“No way, not with _him_ on our tails.” Frank shook his head, “Let's use a compass app on our phones to find another way around. I don't want to go back the way we came unless I have no choice.” He opened his phone to do so, but when he accessed the app, the phone couldn't connect. He cursed quietly as he turned off his phone, “Do you have a map of the place with you?”

“No, Mikey had it last time I checked.”

“Are you two saying we're lost in here?” Andy asked, “Because I don't like being lost in a creepy place like this.”

“Not lost, just very confused and scared.” Frank confessed, “And it looks like our only choice is to follow our footprints back. I just hope this doesn't kill us.”

“Enough!” Patrick roared, “I understand that bad things are going on, but I'm not moving from this spot or giving away the torch until we know what's going on!”

“...” Frank and Ray stared at him as if he was insane, then shared a defeated look. Ray sighed.

“Fine. We'll tell you all we can, since it doesn't seem Gervasius followed us. But we'll tell you on the way back because Mikey is in serious danger, as well as the rest of us.”

“Okay, I can go with that.” Patrick nodded and the group began moving again.

“Apparently, this place has a bloody history from when it was abandoned, about a 1000 years ago.” Frank began, “The were four lands and their kings lived here. Phonicamy, Scorxus, Spidantia, and the Unknown Kingdom. Percival, Ferdinand, Gervasius, and Paul, respectively. Turns out Gervasius was ax-crazy and was only being held back by Ferdinand. Guess who was the first to die.”

“After he went completely insane, Paul and Percival stopped him.” continued Ray, “But his ghost haunted the place and apparently killed Percival. Paul left and closed this place up until it was found in the 50s and renovated, but Gervasius still haunts the place. He thinks Mikey is his younger brother Montresor and Frank is Ferdinand, so you can see why we need to get to Mikey fast.”

“R-right.” Pete didn't like hearing about how his friend was in danger, so he asked, “But where's everyone else?”

“The staff and guests, you mean?” Frank shook his head, “We have no idea. They'd all disappeared after Gervasius showed himself.”

“How?” Joe wondered, “An entire hotel full of people can't just clear out like that, right?”

“Try telling that to this place...” Frank continued with a murmur.

“There's no one around. Bob checked the cameras, so we were in here alone until you guys came along.” Ray spoke, “In fact, the doors were locked when we tried them, so I don't see how you managed to open them before getting stuck in here with us.”

“Gervasius can't be the only ghost here, though. Aren't there any others who could be on our side?” Andy said.

“Just one that we know of, and that's Montresor.” Suddenly they stumbled, as their vision had gone wacky in seconds. Instead of seeing the clear, black hallway, it was now foggy and slightly lit up.

“What the-?!” They were cut off as three figures appeared at the end of the hall. Two were older men that looked suspicious while the third was younger and looked a lot like Gerard. They also looked foggy and it occurred to Ray and Frank they might be experiencing a memory of Four Corners, like Mikey had with Montresor's death.

 _“I do not care what you must do, but I wish for you to assassinate my parents before my grandmother dies.”_ spoke the boy, probably Gervasius in his teenage years, _“I am not going to let them take away what is rightfully mine.”_

 _“Of course, sire, but may we have more to work with?”_ asked one of the suspicious men, _“After all, you are tasking us with killing not only your father and mother, but also the First Prince and Princess.”_ Both were dressed lightly in cloth and leather, where they did not make a sound as they tred on, the trio coming closer and closer to the living group as they walked.

_“They stand in the way of allowing me to be with Ferdinand, so yes. You must take their lives and soon.”_

_“How soon, sire?”_ asked the other man nervously.

_“In the next 3 days at the very least. If not, you will meet a grisly fate.”_

_“Will you kill us if we fail?”_ the first man asked. In response, Gervasius drew his sword and in one swift movement severed the man's head.

 _“I assume that answers his question.”_ Gervasius turned to the remaining man, _“Any more questions?”_

 _“N-no sire!”_ the man gave a quick bow, _“I will get right to it!”_

 _“Good.”_ Gervasius spoke, sheathing his bloody sword, then the fog cleared up and the living men were left alone once again.

“...What the _fuck_ was _that_?” Pete whispered as Patrick nearly collapsed from fright.

“We told you, this place is haunted and insane.” Frank and Ray were just as scared as they were now that they had experienced a deadly memory, “Now I know how Mikey felt...”

“Let's hope we don't end up with a Youngbloods situation.” Joe added before they began walking again, though it was more hesitant, slow, and nervous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got Danger Days and Black Parade as Christmas presents! I'm listening to them right now and S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W just seemed to stick with me, which is why you can find a few references to it in here. I hope you Youngbloods and Killjoys like this chapter, since it's probably going to be the last one for this year, and I hope you have a Happy New Year!


	7. Planning to be a Spanner in the Works

_Solis rested on Percival's shoulder as he gazed at the duties he had written down to do today. It had been several days since Gervasius had left, almost an entire moon, but there were no more messages. Percival was worried, but he knew he could do nothing to find out more. He felt Solis shift, her claws digging into his shoulder tighter, and he looked up to see her staring out the window._

_“What are you seeing, friend?” He stood and went to the window, where he could see a group in the distance approaching, “Is Gervasius returning at last?” Solis said nothing, opening her wings and taking flight. She flew to the group, possibly to investigate, a few other phoenixes leaving the castle to follow their leader. Percival frowned, as this usually didn't happen. Did they sense something was wrong? Gripping the frame of the stone window tightly, Percival knew that there could only be one thing to cause that that he knew of. Turning, he ran out of the room to find Paul and Tollin. He did not want to face a returning, grieving Gervasius alone._

_Later, he was glad he did so. Paul and Tollin stood beside Percival as the front doors to the castle opened and in walked Gervasius at the front of his group. To Percival's surprise, Gervasius didn't look sad in the slightest or even angry. There was no emotion at all on the eldest king's face, though the priests behind him were shaking their heads with sadness. And in Gervasius' hands was a sword and sheath glittering with sapphires. He held it all in his hands carefully, as if the slightest wrong movement would break it. He stared at it blankly, then raised his head and spoke three devastating words to the kingdom of Scorxus._

_“Ferdinand is dead.”_

* * *

Mikey and Bob had locked the room, though there were no windows to give them light, and nervously waited while Montresor kept watch, being the only one who could see in the dark.

 _“I believe Frank and Ray are returning with your friends!”_ spoke Montresor happily, _“I can sense them!”_

“What about Gervasius?” asked Mikey.

 _“Nothing. I cannot sense him to be near here at all. I wonder why.”_ Montresor turned to his older version, _“I assume he would have wanted to get rid of you as soon as possible, so why is he not?”_

“He might be setting a trap.” Bob suggested, “And in this darkness, we wouldn't have any idea about it before it hits us, which means we'll have to be extra careful.”

 _“Allow me to allow them in.”_ Montresor waved a glowing hand and there was a click as the security room's door was unlocked.

“...Is it just me, or are you getting FNAF vibes from this?” Mikey asked Bob, “The whole 'trying not to die in the security room' thing?”

“Not just you.” the drummer agreed. There then came a knock to the door before it was opened and light washed into the room from Patrick's torch. All the men looked considerably white, like they had seen a ghost.

“You guys okay?” asked Ray as the group came inside.

“As fine as we can be.” answered Mikey.

 _“Hello, I am Montresor.”_ the ghost boy greeted FOB, who weren't sure whether to be scared or say hello back.

“He's one of the good guys.” Frank told them, “Remember? We told you guys this earlier.”

“Don't blame us for being a bit suspicious after all that's happened, will you?” Andy growled before they greeted the ghost.

“We saw a memory.” Ray began, “Like how you saw Montresor get murdered, we saw Gervasius planning the downfall of his parents.”

 _“Oh my.”_ Montresor frowned, _“I should have warned you about that.”_

“About what?”

 _“The memories are traps Gervasius made except for the one in my room.”_ explained the ghost, _“He created them to drive away visitors. All of them are true as well.”_

“No wonder you all look so white.” Bob admonished.

“But about hiding places, where can we go where Gervasius can't get to us besides Underground?” Patrick asked.

 _“Nowhere.”_ Montresor sighed, _“I can go wherever I wish in the castle, so he can go there too. Your only choice is to go as far Underground as you can.”_

“No.” Mikey shook his head, “I know I'm not speaking for everyone, but we can't stay down there forever. Gervasius is always going to be after us, so we can't just hide from him. He has control of Gerard and I'm not going to let my brother go through this alone. I learned that lesson after the Paramour, when he did the same for me. Besides, the only way out is here, upstairs and on the ground. We also haven't eaten for a day, so we need to find the kitchen and eat something before Gervasius strikes.” The younger Way was making good points that the others couldn't deny.

_“...You will be putting your life in danger.”_

“Don't care.” Mikey adjusted his glasses, “You think you're helping us, Montresor, and we appreciate that, but we're not ghosts. We can't live forever, and I know you understand that, but we're also willing to take our lives in our hands to protect one of our own. If Gervasius hadn't killed you and he had been in danger, would you try to help him?” The young ghost was silent, staring up at Mikey before fading away.

“Wait, did you just chase off our guide?!” Pete asked.

“He'll be back. Hand me the torch.” Patrick did so and Mikey pulled out the map, unfolding it and showing the others, “Seems the kitchen is Underground, farther down than the dungeons.”

“How can you be so calm about this?” Joe wondered.

“I'm not.” answered Mikey, “I'm just taking charge.”

* * *

Gervasius looked up from his search of the library when he sensed his little brother come in.

 _ **“** **Ah, Monty.”**_ he purred, **_“To what do I owe the pleasure?”_**

 _“Would you have saved me if my life was in danger?”_ Gervasius paused, staring at the young ghost in confusion.

_**“** **...What do you mean?”** _

_“Mikey gave me certain thoughts about you that I wish to test, so answer me truthfully, brother. Would you have risked your life to save mine, once upon a time?”_

_**“** **...Perhaps.”**_ Gervasius muttered, turning back to the wall he had been examining, **_“If you had not been in my way by just being my brother or if I was not in love, then perhaps I would have.”_**

 _“...I see.”_ Montresor then disappeared and Gervasius shook his head. His little brother thought too much on things that had to application to his afterlife these days. And yet, the question posed to him had been surprising. He had not thought much about it, but if given a second chance with a heart not as black as ink with poison in its veins, then maybe he would have cared more for Montresor than he had before.

 _ **“** **Well now, at least I am alone again.”**_ Gervasius spoke aloud to himself, running Gerard's hands along the wall, **_“Now, where might that switch be? Paul could not have done much to hide it, I am sure. Though I must give Percival credit for being a great trap master, so this must be harder than it looks.”_**

* * *

“Holy smokes, I can't believe there's good food in here.” Patrick spoke as he checked one of the large fridges in the kitchen, “All the dates are good, nothing's gone bad.” There were three, all of them industrial-sized, and looked big enough for three of the men to fit in one.

“Well, get something out so we can eat!” complained Frank, “Unlike you guys, our band hasn't eaten since yesterday!” The two, as well as most of MCR, tried to find things in the fridge to eat except for Mikey. He was with Pete, Joe and Andy looking over the brochure map of Four Corners, taking his self-proclaimed job of leader seriously.

“First, we need some rules.” Pete spoke, “One, no one goes alone-”

“But we've got uneven numbers.” Joe pointed out.

“At this point, I don't think Gerard counts.” Andy added.

“-Two,” Pete continued on undetered, “Frank and Mikey need to be protected.”

“You and Patrick need to be safe too.” Mikey looked up to meet their eyes, “We can stop by the Hall of History later to show you guys, but there are paintings in there that show what the kings looked like. Ferdinand looks like Frank and Gerard looks like Gervasius, but Paul and Percival are practically carbon copies of you and Patrick, Pete.”

“Which means you two are probably walking dead men.” Andy pointed out.

“But if we are, then why hasn't he done anything yet?” Pete asked, now nervous.

“Maybe he doesn't know what you guys look like.” Joe said, “Maybe that's why nothing's happening.”

“And I wouldn't say Frank needs a guard, at least right now.” Mikey spoke, “Gervasius seems more on the side of saving him from the rest of us than trying to kill him. After all, he seemed to be in love with Ferdinand, so it would make sense for him to not hurt Frank. Or, at the very least, leave him last. In fact, besides me, I think his main target will be Patrick, since Percival was the one to kill Gervasius-”

“And 'Trick looks like him.” finished the other three.

“What was that about me?” Patrick asked as he came over, carrying sandwiches for the group of four plus the rest of the men. They all gathered 'round and ate together while Mikey began to speak.

“First off, no one is allowed to go alone. That's our first and only rule so far.” Pete opened his mouth to speak but Mikey covered it with his hand, preventing the FOB bassist from doing so, “Second, we've got the whole castle to ourselves against a ghostly murderer who knows this place better than we do. We are on his home turf, and even with Montresor, the odds aren't looking so great. We need to plan out where we're going next and what sort of defenses we can bring to help us.”

“We could look for weapons.” Ray suggested.

“And maybe see if there's still some working tech around.” Bob added.

“Do you mean literally weapons or just something that would drive the ghost away?” Patrick asked, “Because I think I've got something that will work one of those ways.” From under his shirt and around his neck, he pulled out a cross necklace.

“That could work, at least for a while.” The others nodded.

“You keep it on, just in case Gervasius learns the truth before we're ready.” Mikey said. Patrick gave him a confused look but said nothing, tucking the necklace back into his shirt.

“That can be our secret weapon, so keep it safe, 'Trick.” Pete told him.

“Here's a courtyard, I think.” Frank pointed to a space on the map, “Do you think we might be able to set a trap there against Gervasius?”

“Maybe, just depends on the kind of trap.” Andy said.

“Montresor told us ghosts can deal with doors and locks, but what about rope?” Bob said.

“Yeah, we could make a rope trap so that Gervasius can't free Gerard's body and then he won't have a good way to get at us!” Joe grew excited, then frowned, “But could he still possess one of us?”

“If he could, I think he might have already done that, don't you?” Mikey said, “Either that he or has limited possession powers with anyone besides Gee. And if it does manage to free him, we'll have to give him Patrick's necklace to keep him safe. Once that's done, we'll need to find our own holy items and make a stand against him.”

“Then does anyone know how to preform an exorcism?” Pete asked. He was met with blank stares.

“If we can't do that, then our best bet is to trap him somehow.” Patrick spoke, “Like, maybe get him trapped in a jar that's been coated in holy water or something.”

“Dude, where the fuck are we supposed to get holy water in a place like this?” asked Andy. Patrick shrugged.

“Just a suggestion.”

“Well, let's back up a bit, we're thinking too far ahead.” Ray said, “For now, let's just set up our trap and see what happens.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I lied about the last chapter being the last for the year. I AM ON A ROLL! *ahem* Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter because I am up late writing this with hiccups that have conflicted me twice before tonight already. So Happy New Year, you Killjoys and Youngbloods!
> 
> P.S., I have also realized an error in my writing earlier, thanks to one of my friends who knows the bands better than I do. turns out Mikey had surgery to fix his eyes, but seeing as I didn't know that when I wrote in the glasses/contacts in an earlier chapter, would you like me to change it or keep it on as Artistic License? I'm not quite sure how much it would affect the story, but if you want it changed, I'll do my best to do so.


	8. Don't Anger A Ghost, He Can Kill You

Gervasius tapped Gerard's fingers against the blade of his drawn sword as he walked down the hall. He had grabbed it the first chance he got, despite the chains that tried to hold it in place, and though he had tried to find where Paul and Percival had hidden the poisons, he had been unsuccessful. As it was, he was now out and about to check his traps, see if they caught any prey. He would have gone after the living men himself if he could, but as it was, Gerard's body was growing tired from lack of food and sleep. Gervasius knew he would have to leave to allow the singer to recover, but Gerard would not be out of his grasp for good.

Sighting one of his traps, Gervasius stepped carefully over the tripwire he had put out and looked up. The suit of armor he had hung was still there, unmoving and untouched. He left the trap be and continued on his way, pulling out Gerard's phone and forcing a connection to Mikey's. This was one of the perks he loved about having a vessel, as the last time he had tried to call someone was with a wall phone and that had taken a lot of effort (getting the phone off the hook, typing in the numbers, hanging up, etc. You have _no_ idea how many times he had to throw a nail at the numbers until he got it right). As it was, he began calling and was quickly picked up.

_**“** **Hello, Mikey.”**_ he greeted, **_“Planning my downfall?”_**

“As if I'd tell you.” spat the younger Way. Gervasius chuckled and as he passed a window, he looked out to see the courtyard. It looked like any regular courtyard except for the fact that the Hall of History went across the middle as an arch. The ghost could see people going about and grinned.

_**“** **I can see you. Are you trying to trap me? I cannot be stopped, child, so give up. Give me Ferdinand and I might just let you live.”** _

“For one thing, his name is Frank, not Ferdinand. And second, none of us are leaving here without Gerard.”

_**“** **I highly doubt that. No matter what you do, you cannot keep me away, you cannot defeat me! I will kill you all soon enough, so why not surrender and save yourselves the trouble?”** _

“Egotistical much?” Mikey muttered, then continued, “Only when Hell freezes over!”

_**“** **Too much spirit is what you have.”**_ Gervasius left the window and continued walking, now heading towards the courtyard, **_“And have you seen young Monty? I assume he returned to you after our talk.”_**

“Not at all. And you know what? We don't need him. We can keep Frank safe from you, no matter what you do.” Gervasius' grin twitched, becoming tighter on his face.

**_“ I let it pass by the first time, but now I wish to correct you: His name is Ferdinand, he is the reincarnation of my lover and I will do anything to get him back, so do not push me.”_ **

“He doesn't love you, bastard. And if you want him back, you'll need to get me first. So, _come and get me_.” Gervasius pulled the phone away when he heard the dial tone and stared at it, then gave a roar and threw it at the wall, causing it to smash.

_**“** **He thinks he can take Ferdinand away from me! He has the gall to antagonize me?!”**_ Gervasius took off at a run, **_“He will pay for his insolence!”_**

* * *

“Are you sure it was a good idea to get him riled up like that?” Pete asked after Mikey ended the call.

“He'll make more mistakes when he's mad. That's what we want.” Mikey explained, then said, “Get going. He can't know about you or 'Trick at all if we want to stay alive.” Pete nodded, but stayed a few seconds before leaving to join his band. FOB was hiding out behind a low wall to the side of the courtyard while MCR was scattered about. They had found more chains, cables, and some rope in a supply closet connected to the security room and had used them to create rope traps against Gervasius. There had also been a medical kit in the closet, so that gave them to add another factor to their plan: Force Gerard to kick out Gervasius using the singer's fear of hypodermic needles. It was a cruel tactic that none of them agreed with, but they knew it might be their only chance to save Gerard from the mad king, especially at this time of day. It was night, when Montresor said that ghosts were at their strongest, so they hoped this would work. Otherwise they were as good as dead.

_**“** **There you are!”**_ Just as Pete managed to hide, Gervasius appeared and did a long jump over the first round of traps. He wasn't panting or looked tired in the slightest as he raised his sword, but his eyes were wild and wide, though with what no one could tell. Hate? Anger? Insanity? Any of those guesses could have been right for all they knew.

_**“** **You think I would fall for that so easily?”**_ he laughed, **_“I may be angry, but I once lived with one of the best trap masters to ever exist! Anything you throw at me I will be able to dodge because I am not stupid. I am angry, I may be insane, but I am_ not _stupid.”_**

“Then you should know that we've got our own tricks.” Mikey gave a nod and the band revealed the syringes. Immediately Gerard's body froze up and a look of fear came to his face, his eyes flickering between a glowing red and normal hazel.

_**“** **What is going on?!”**_ Gervasius didn't understand as he unintentionally took a step backward.

“Gerard's scared of needles, dummy.” Ray spoke, “Now give him back or else.”

_**“** **I thought you wanted your friend back, not to scare him to death.”** _

“We're ready to do what we need to to save him.” The group stepped forward, encircling Gervasius even more. The ghost-possessed man jumped back and his feet landed in one of the traps. The rope tightened around his ankles and yanked him into the air upside down, causing him to drop the sword, thrash against his bonds, and snarl. Glowing red orbs of hate and slight fear glared at them from his trapped position. He waved an arm and wind whirled through the air, but it only caused cold and didn't free him.

“Not so tough now, are you?” Bob goaded.

“Give it up, Gervasius.” Frank said, “You've lost this round.”

_**“** **No!”**_ Gervasius roared, **_“You are mine! I will keep you all trapped here until I get what I want and there is nothing you can do to change that!”_**

“Oh no?” Mikey came closer and held the needle out, as if the pierce Gerard. The man's eyes widened and he brought up his arms to defend himself, giving a small whimper. The guys tried not to wince, though it hurt to see their friend in this state, especially since they were the ones causing it. Seeing that Gervasius was still in control, Mikey steeled himself to hurt his brother with intention of helping and pulled his arm back. Before he could throw the syringe, however, there was a large thunk on top of the Hall of History, causing dust to rain down from above. The men tried to look up but their attention was pulled away as the thing that had caused the shake landed on the ground and reared up on its back four legs. Gervasius grinned as it screeched and the living men paled.

_**“** **About time, Romulus.”**_ he said, **_“I have been wondering about your whereabouts.”_** The giant spider that was almost as big as a London double-decker bus screeched and landed back on all its feet, crawling forward. Frank fainted and Bob grabbed him as MCR scrambled out of its way. The spider then reared up to cut the rope holding Gervasius, allowing him to fall to the ground.

_**“** **I wish that this could have ended better and you did not fight me, but alas.”**_ Gervasius pulled the rope off his ankles with ease but continued to sit, making no move to stand, **_“One good thing has come out of this: I am now reunited with my partner. Until we meet again!”_** Then the red was gone from Gerard's eyes and they rolled into his head as he collapsed, the spider disappearing as well.

“...We're so fucking screwed.” Joe commented after a few moments of silence. This broke the others out of their fearful pause, where Mikey and Ray rushed to Gerard's side.

“He's out cold, no pun intended.” Ray said as the two checked the singer over for injuries, Mikey throwing his jacket over Gerard. The singer wasn't dressed for the cold and was shivering, even though he was unconscious. The other two groups had dressed for the cold before coming out and setting their traps, and Mikey looked up as another coat was drapped over his freezing brother.

“Thanks, Patrick.” The FOB singer nodded and took off his necklace, holding it out.

“You should put this on him before Gervasius comes back.”

“Right.” Mikey took the necklace and slid it over Gerard's head, causing the older Way to shiver more as the cold metal touched his skin.

“How's Frank?” Andy asked as the rest of FOB came over to join them.

“As out of it as Gerard is, but he should be fine.” Bob answered.

“Let's get them inside before Gerard freezes to death.” Ray advised, grabbing Gerard's feet as Mikey did his arms after they wrapped the coats more securely around their friend.

“Right.” The bands then went inside through a staircase leading up to the Hall of History, Pete taking the time to grab the dropped Spidantia sword as well. It had been strange at first to encounter the stairs, but they had quickly gotten used to it because said stairs were the only way out of the courtyard besides a pair at the other end of the Hall of History.

“The only fireplace I know of is the one in Gervasius' room, but I'm not sure I want to go there.” spoke Bob.

“I think Ray and I saw one in the library, so let's go there.” Mikey advised.

“Here, let me lead the way.” As Patrick took the torch they had left in a sconce near the stairs, Pete grabbed the brochure out of Mikey's jacket pocket and began doing so. It was quiet for a while as they walked, no one speaking until Andy talked.

“...I thought you said ghosts couldn't touch anything.”

“They can't, but it seems it only applies to human ones.” Mikey said.

“Like I said, we're so screwed now that that big-ass spider has joined Gervasius.” Joe said.

“Well, if Romulus is still here, then why not the other animals to the kings?” Ray said, “They could still be around and might be willing to help us.”

“Then where could they be?” asked Pete.

“Montresor mentioned Solis might be residing in the Phonicamy Tower, so we could go there next.” Bob pointed out, “Mikey? What do you think?”

“Let's make plans for that after we're safe and Gerard is warm, alright?” The younger Way's voice shook slightly and no one talked more, as they realized Mikey just wanted Gerard to be okay right now.

* * *

_“I missed you.”_ Gervasius purred as he stroked Romulus. The giant spider chittered in happiness at the petting as the two rested in the mad king's room, _“Did you trap Montresor for me as a present?”_ Romulus nodded, _“Good boy!”_ Romulus clacked his mandibles together in happiness of the praise, but noticed something was bothering his master. He gave a small growl to showcase his worry.

_“I am bothered because they did something to him, to Ferdinand.”_ Gervasius still smiled at his spider friend but his eyes grew dark, _“They have taken away his mind, made him believe that he belongs to them. And when you appeared, they did something to harm him, to make him faint. I would have continued to fight but Gerard's body had become too weak. But once I am in control again, they will be sorry for what they have done!”_ Romulus screeched in agreement, tapping his first two forelegs on the ground.

_“Oh? You wish to harm them in my stead? Be my guest!”_ Romulus nodded and left through a wall, not making a sound despite how huge he was. Gervasius sat back and waited for his partner to return, now in no hurry to get things done, as he had been before. He smiled at the portrait opposite of him.

_“Grandmother, Father, Mother, if you could only see me now! I suppose you can from up in Heaven, but I am quite sure you are all disappointed in me. I never cared what you thought of me, I only wanted Ferdinand. And now, he is almost in my grasp once again. I am not going to let him leave me this time, either. I am sure of it.”_

* * *

“How is he?” asked Frank, now curled up in his own jacket. He was sitting beside the fire they had managed to start with the torch, as well as the still knocked-out Gerard and watchful Mikey. The others had fallen asleep a while ago, despite their fear, and used their jackets to keep each other warm.

“Don't know. He's probably hungry and tired, though, because of how long he was possessed.” Mikey glanced up to meet Frank's eyes, “Do you think that's hurt him in some way, like made him a little crazy?”

“Mikes, he's already a little crazy.” Frank sighed, “But yeah, I know what you mean. I don't think he's going to be a bit ax-crazy because of it, but he's going to be scared. You said he was scared the first time he lost his memory and I saw how scared he was after Gervasius let him go the first time. He's going to become a sobbing mess sooner or later because of how much he's getting pushed around.”

“Gee hates getting pushed and ordered.” Mikey commented, “He's shy sometimes, yeah, but he's pretty assertive too. You've seen how he's confident and he's cheered us up when we're down. Remember during that photo shoot when we were all having a bad day he brought you that puppy?”

“Boy, do I.” Frank smiled at the memory, “He's a great guy, that's for sure.” The guitarist then frowned, “But how the hell are we going to stay happy if _he's_ not gonna be happy?”

“We'll be the brave ones. Don't forget how we picked him up when he was down from his alcohol problems, the drugs and everything else he had in his system. We were the happy ones and we brought him back into the light with us.” Mikey rested a hand on his brother's shoulder, as Gerard was leaning on him in the singer's sleep, “We can do it all over again.”

“I guess. You've taken charge, even though you're scared, and you've been guiding us to fight Gervasius.” Frank tilted his head slightly, “In a way, that reminds me of Gerard during Danger Days.” Mikey raised an eyebrow.

“How so?”

“Remember how Gee was scared but confident while we were doing it? He was trying to stay confident for all of us because we were his friends and he didn't want to let us down, but he was scared for Bandit. He was worried over her sometimes, being a new father and all.” Frank closed his eyes, “And how do you think the kids are doing, anyway? I promised to call Lily, Cherry, Miles, and Jamia, but I forgot all about it after Gervasius started chasing us. I bet they're worried sick over me and wondering where I am.”

“Mm.” Mikey hummed, saying no words. It became quiet for a small while until the younger Way spoke, “And in a way, you're right. I am sort of like how Gee was, but I'm also not. He wasn't threatened with death during the tour, he wasn't being chased around while I was trying to kill him, even though I wasn't in control. He never had to face any of this, but I'm still feeling the same. Inside, I'm freaking out like crazy. Outside...” Mikey shrugged, “Outside, I'm just trying to keep everyone alive, like in those horror or survival movies.”

“Well, you sure do make a good leader.” Frank reached out and tugged Gerard over so Mikey was free to move, “I'll keep an eye on him. Get some sleep, fearless leader.” Mikey smiled, knowing Frank was trying to cheer him up, but laid down on the stone ground and closed his eyes. Despite being uncomfortable, the man fell into the pit of sleep right away.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year, Youngbloods and Killjoys! At least, it started off happy then went downhill with this thing when I lost all that I had typed up until the part where Romulus appears. I had to retype everything using the outside that I could remember, so sorry if it seems a bit confusing. As for this ending part, I only have two notes for it.
> 
> The first is the part where Frank mentions Gerard's confidence and nervousness during Danger Days. I'm not actually sure that happened, but I imagine that's what Gee was feeling during that time, being a new father and all. The second note is for where Mikey mentions the photo shoot, which you can see above. I found the post on Pinterest and I thought it would fit well, so I hope you like it!
> 
> Another thing I want to mention is that animal ghosts and human ghosts don't have the same powers, as I imagine, so Romulus will be able to do certain things Gervasius can't as is the other way around. So, sorry for the long note and I hope you like the new chapter!


	9. There Are Some Things We Still Need To Learn

“Hey.”

“Hey.” Mikey had woken up a while ago and pulled his brother to his side, allowing Frank to keep on sleeping with more comfort. Pete had just gotten up and, after quietly greeting the other bassist, took Mikey's free side. The fire had been dying before, but Pete grabbed a poker stick off to the side and moved the logs around, giving the fire new life.

“Thanks.”

“No prob.” Pete gave a nod, “How is he?”

“Warmer, but still unconscious.”

“I'm sure he'll be okay.” Pete tried to answer the unasked question.

“Maybe...” Mikey didn't sound convinced. Pete sighed.

“What about you? How are you feeling?”

“Same as usual.”

“I don't mean physically, Mikes. You're really scared, aren't you?”

“...Who wouldn't be?” he asked, “My brother's in danger, as well as the rest of us, and there's no way out.”

“Things are gonna be okay.” Pete put his hand on Mikey's arm, “We've survived life, I'm sure we can survive someone trying to kill us.”

“Maybe, but that's not all that's on your mind, is it? I'm glad you're worried about me, but it just has to be that. Warped 2005 was a long time ago and we can't go back to that, no matter how much we want to. You're married now, with two sons and expecting another kid. You don't need me anymore.”

“Maybe not, but that can't stop me from missing you. We still had great memories together and sometimes I wonder if we were doing the right thing by going our separate ways.”

“I suppose.” Mikey gave a mischievous smile, “Thanks for the Memories.” Pete grinned and gave him a small punch to the arm, trying not to jostle Gerard.

“Dude, don't quote my songs like that.”

“Sorry.” They were still smiling as they looked up at the hearth above the fireplace. Things were quiet as the sun began to rise until Pete suddenly stood up and moved to the stone wall to the right of the fireplace.

“Hey, do you see this?”

“I see a wall, yes.” Mikey quipped.

“That's not what I meant. There's a pattern in the wall, I can see it.” Pete looked back at him, “You really don't see it?” Mikey frowned at his friend.

“You sure you're not going crazy?” he asked.

“Pretty sure.” Pete turned back to the wall, running his hands against the stones, “I just get the feeling there's something major behind all this, like a secret passage or something.”

“I just hope we're not losing you...” Mikey muttered under his breath, quiet enough where the FOB bassist couldn't hear. But suddenly Mikey was being thrown on his back and his grip on Gerard was ripped off as the singer got up and ran. Mikey and Pete ran after him, wondering what the hell Gerard was doing, but both of them realized quickly that the singer was overcome with fear.

“Does he think we're Gervasius or something?” Pete shouted to Mikey.

“Maybe! Right now, let's just calm him down!”

“GET AWAY FROM ME!” Gerard screamed at them from down the hall, “I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU MADE ME DO, BUT LEAVE ME ALONE!”

“Gerard!” Mikey shouted, “It's okay!”

“BASTARD!” It looked like the older Way wasn't going to listen, but the two could tell they were closing the distance. Gerard was getting slower, almost stumbling when they finally caught up to him. They were just about to tackle him when he turned a corner and they came to a dead end. At least, it seemed that way with the five crumbling balconies. Gerard slowed to a stop, panting extensively as he turned to see them. His eyes were wide and the pupils dilated, large and wide as if he was high or something.

“LEAVE. ME. ALONE.” he snarled, “You want me to hurt someone again, don't you?!”

“Ge-”

“Shh!” Pete covered Mikey's mouth, whispering, “He's completely out of it, leave him be.”

“But-”

“Trust me, you _don't_ want to say anything.”

“Well?! SPEAK UP! I want to hear what you're planning to do with me next!” Gerard was looking more and more wrecked the more he shouted, “You know what?! You can't control me if I'm dead! I don't care what my friends will think just as long as they're safe! I'm your biggest weapon and I'm taking that away from you!”

“NO!” Mikey and Pete ran forward to grab him as he turned and went to jump off the middle balcony. They managed to get to him before he could jump and brought him back into the building, thrashing and yelling. The singer was hysterical with fear and tried to attack them as best he could, jabbing at them with his elbows and feet, trying to get free. Soon Gerard slowed down and his cries of hate and fear switched to sobs of despair and desolation.

“ _Please_ , just please don't kill them!” he begged, “Leave everyone out of this!”

 _“What about Ferdinand?”_ Mikey and Pete shot their heads up from where they were holding Gerard down to see Gervasius standing at the balconies. This was the first time they saw the ghost in his full glory, smiling down at them. Gerard flinched as he turned his eyes to the ghost.

“I...”

 _“He can be ours. I would be happy to share.”_ Gervasius' smile turned nasty, teeth showing with a predatory feeling. But when his eyes trailed over Mikey and Pete, he froze, a shocked look passing onto his face.

 _“You...”_ he blinked and tilted his head, _“No, it should be impossible. You died elsewhere, very far from here!”_ His face quickly contorted in rage, _“You destroyed the kingdoms and left our people in ruins!”_ He raised his arms and the suits of armor on the sides of the hallway began to vibrate, _“With no protection, our people were tortured and ripped themselves apart for a new leader! The Russians decimated them when they came and they were enslaved! YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!”_

“Move!” Another person's words managed to snap Mikey and Pete of the fear they had been frozen in, where they dragged Gerard (who was too fearful and weak to do much) with them as they got out of the way of the falling pieces of armor. Gervasius gave a snarl and bared his teeth at them.

 _“This is not over, Paul! You will be punished soon enough!”_ The ghost king then disappeared, leaving them alone.

“You guys okay?” Frank and the other two bands helped the three men to their feet.

“Barely.” Pete spoke, “But what was he talking about?”

“You, I think.” Mikey said, “He thinks of me as Montresor and controls Gee, so you're the only one he could have been talking about.”

“And it sounds like what Paul did, leaving and separating the kingdoms, has got him pissed.” Bob said.

“Apparently.”

“What about Gerard?” Joe asked, “Are you okay?” The singer, who had just been staring blankly ahead, blinked and looked at him slowly, then turned to look at everyone else. His eyes were now back to normal and he looked at each and every one of them carefully.

“...This isn't a trap or a trick, right?” he asked quietly, “It's really you guys?”

“Yeah, it's us.” Ray nodded, as did everyone else. Gerard then gave a soft smile.

“That's good. When I woke up, though, I...” he frowned, “I saw horrible things, like what happened at the Paramour, with flames and death and all of it. I tried to get away by running and I thought Gervasius was chasing me. But after being pulled back and seeing him actually there, I guess that snapped me out of it. So, for those of you who chased me, sorry for all the trouble.”

“I'm just glad you're okay.” Mikey tightened his one-armed grip around Gerard's shoulders, “You're probably hungry and exhausted, but you're free, and that's all that matters right now.”

“At least, until Gervasius tries to make a move again.” Andy pointed out.

“Then maybe you should just leave me be.” Gerard spoke, “I think he let me go because I was getting tired and hungry, right? So, maybe you guys should keep all that away from me. If I'm too tired and hungry for him to use, then you all should be safe, right?”

“No way.” Frank shook his head, “There is no way you're going to starve yourself from food or sleep! I'd rather take my chances with Gervasius than let you go through that!”

“That counts for all of us.” Patrick added, “Even if you put our lives at risk, we're not going to let you do that just to keep us safe.”

“Bastards...” Gerard muttered, but he said nothing else to showcase his disagreement. He also blinked a bit more as he focused on the bands, frowning in confusion.

“And why is Fall Out Boy here? How'd you guys get inside in the first place? Is there a way out?” The elder Way grew excited at the last bit, eyes lighting up.

“Not really.” Pete sighed, “I think a ghost might have undone Gervasius' lock on the doors, but we still got stuck in here like the rest of you guys. And, apparently, 'Trick and I are in more danger than you, Mikey, and Frank.”

“What?” Now Gerard was truly confused.

“Here.” Mikey and Frank helped their friend to his feet on both sides, allowing Gerard to lean on them as much as he pleased, “We've got a lot to talk about and it can't be here, where we're all freezing.”

“Let's go back to the library, where we can explain.” suggested Ray, and that's where they went.

* * *

When he opened his eyes, he saw only flames and death. He didn't know where he was but he could see fire running across the floor and up the bookshelves, the scrolls and books flying off as if trying to get away from the all-consuming flames. Smoke filled his nose and he looked around, only to find his friends, his bandmates, lying dead and scorched.

“No...” he whimpered, trying to comprehend what was going on.

 _“Do you like what you see?”_ He turned to see Gervasius standing behind him, arms crossed with a smile of triumph.

“You did this, didn't you? How?!” He growled, standing up to face the ghost.

 _“Of course not, fool.”_ Raising a hand, Gervasius tugged over an undamaged hand mirror, letting it rest at His feet, _“You did.”_ And when He looked down, into the mirror, he saw his own face, all too much like Gervasius' own. That was what caused him to get up and run, but he could hear Gervasius following him, laughing, and it was driving him insane. The ghost got what he wanted, why couldn't he just leave Him alone?

 _“Do you not get it?”_ the ghost king said, _“No matter where you go, when you look at yourself, you will always see me! YOU_ ARE _ME!”_

“NO!” And He kept running, thinking that killing himself might be the only solution to this nightmare. Until it all ended and he finally saw the truth, where he was blinded no more, thanks to his brother and another man.

* * *

 _"I love this, I truly do.”_ Gervasius laughed quietly to himself as he rested back in his room after torturing Gerard, _“I only wish Paul had not appeared.”_ Those words caused him to growl in hate of the other dead king, who Gervasius had thought was long gone. After all, Paul had not died in the castle, so the king could not return. However, Ferdinand had returned, so it wasn't completely impossible. The mad king hated it though because that meant he now had more obstacles in his way to making Ferdinand his again.

 _“And where is that tarantula of mine? He left a while ago and still has not returned!”_ Gervasius tilted his head in thought, _“Perhaps he is setting a trap for them. That is the way he hunts, I remember, so I should not be surprised.”_ He then sat back on the bed and planned what to do next. He could easily go and cause nightmares and illusions to the living men using his powers (as he had done with Gerard), and he could frighten them even more by marking them if he so wished. He smiled at the though, as he had done that already. The bands just hadn't noticed it yet. He supposed he could do it again, but this time, try to kill one of them, mostly Paul. Paul was the main object of his anger and once he was gone, Gervasius could go back to his original plans, which were changing all the time to meet the moves of the bands.

 _“I hope they find the ballroom.”_ Gervasius smirked, _“I wish to give Paul some poetic irony.”_

* * *

“...and that's everything since Gervasius got to you again.” Ray finished up. They were all now in the library and Gerard was covered in coats and blankets that had been taken from various guest rooms (which no one had thought of to get the previous night because of their latest ghost encounter). The fire was once again going strong, helping to warm them all up, and they were scattered about. Most of MCR and FOB stuck with Gerard, eating breakfast they had grabbed from the kitchen after a short mission, while Mikey and Pete examined the wall the older bassist had been looking at. Adrenaline from the chase was now wearing down and they were starting to feel the aches of sleeping on the stone floor and wooden benches. Mikey could feel an itch on his arm but ignored it, as he assumed it was from not sleeping right or something.

“I see.” Gerard nodded, but his face clearly showed his sadness, “I'm sorry I'm being such trouble for you guys, having to keep an eye on me and all.”

“Don't be!” Frank said, “You're no trouble at all, even when Gervasius has a hold on you.” The others nodding, trying to show their support to the fact that none of it was Gerard's fault while agreeing with Frank. The singer wasn't convinced but didn't add onto it.

“But you guys managed to come in, so there much be another ghost in here who is as strong as Gervasius. If we find him, we can get out of here.” he said.

“Maybe, but we haven't seen any others ghosts besides Gervasius since Montresor left, and he hasn't come back yet.” Bob pointed out, “If there's another ghost around, then why doesn't he show himself?”

“Maybe he can't.” Patrick added, “What if there's a reason he can't come into our visible spectrum? He might even be trying to hide himself from Gervasius.”

“But what about the power?” asked Andy, “Since this place is renovated, then shouldn't there be a backup generator?”

“It would be just our luck that Gervasius took that out too.” Joe shook his head.

“But maybe we can fix the damage and get the power back on.” Frank was optimistic.

“You won't.” Gerard suddenly spoke, his voice quiet and solemn, “I know you won't because I can feel it. I may not remember how he used me, but I get the feeling that after what I did, the power system is gonna be trashed.”

“Don't mean we can't still check it and see if we can fix it.” Patrick was on Frank's side, trying to be optimistic, then turned to Mikey and Pete, “And what are you two doing?”

“Trying to see if we can find a way to open this wall.” answered Pete, earning them stares.

“He thinks he can see some sort of pattern in the wall.” Mikey waved in Pete's direction, “If he's right, then we might just get a way out of here. If not, it's not like it's gonna change anything.”

“...Alright.” The rest of their bands went back to ignoring them except for Gerard. He had seen something on Mikey' arm when the younger Way had moved it and tilted his head to get a better look. He narrowed his eyes, trying to see past Mikey's sleeve, and when he couldn't get a good view spoke up.

“Is there something on your arm, Mikes?” This attracted the attention of the others and Mikey shrugged.

“Dunno. Haven't checked it but it feels kinda itchy.”

“Check it.” When Gerard spoke, his voice had changed to a commanding tone. He wasn't asking, he was ordering and expected Mikey to comply. Said man knew not to go against Gerard unless his brother was asking for something he didn't need (i.e. drugs, alcohol), so he did so, rolling up his sleeve to reveal something that was most certainly not there before: four long, pinkish-red lines. These were marks common of fingernails but confused and scared the men.

“...What the hell?” Mikey ran his hand over the marks and hissed when they flared up with a burning sensation.

“I didn't hurt you, did I?!” Gerard's eyes were growing wider with fear.

“No, you didn't touch me and I didn't do anything, so how-?”

“Gervasius.” Pete said, “It has to be, somehow.”

“But I though ghosts couldn't touch anyone or anything without a vessel.” spoke Ray.

“The more we learn about Gervasius and this place, the more we're proven wrong.” Bob said, “So it looks like he can hurt us. Can he touch us too, like trying to choke us?”

“Only one way to find out and I'm not looking forward to it.” said Andy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been having a bad year. Once again I lost the first part of this story, then I had to rewrite it, and THEN my computer gets so sick I have to clear a lot of things out of it and basically reinstall the main programs. Luckily my stories (including this one) were safe, but not so much for my other programs. Sorry about the rant, but I just needed to get it out.
> 
> Now, here are some notes to help explain the story: 1, Where Mikey shows the scrapes, that's one of the abilities of human ghosts. Human ghosts can touch people, animal ghosts cannot. Animal ghosts can touch inanimate things, human ghosts cannot but can manipulate them. That's the main difference between the two. 2, Ghosts can cause nightmares and illusions if they focus hard enough. You see what Gerard saw in that small bit I put in there between when they went to the library and Gervasius' alone time. 3, I've been checking out certain things I've put in the story, and thankfully most manage to check out. Chandeliers were invented in the Medieval Ages, from 5th-15th centuries. Gervasius is from around 1000, so it works out. I'm not sure how old ballrooms are, though, and I'm planning a part later on with some music, so I researched ballroom dancing. Apparently it was first described back in the 1600s, so I don't don't how far back it goes, but since this is fanfic, I have artistic license. 4, I saw a post that was a bit recent, I believe, that had Pete and another FOB member (possibly Patrick or Joe) was expecting another kid, so I decided to add it in.
> 
> I think that's everything, Youngbloods and Killjoys, so I hope you like it!


	10. Thank You For The Venom

“You're not bleeding, so I think we can leave it be for now.” Ray spoke after examining the scratches on Mikey.

“Could I also get a second opinion? No offense, Ray, but after what happened in _The Ghost of You_ , I just want to make sure.”

“That's fine, Mikes, I'm not mad at all.”

“Here, let me.” Andy offered, moving over to sit beside Mikey so he could check the scratches. Pete was still examining the wall while the others sat, some looking through a few of the books, including the ones Mikey and Ray had originally brought to the security room (which Joe and Bob had retrieved shortly after their last Gervasius encounter).

“Ha!” Pete suddenly exclaimed, “I think I've got it now!” He then began pushing on random bricks, which actually moved inward. The others watched as he did this and after the last block was pushed, the room began to shake.

“AHHH!” Pete fell on his butt during the shaking while the other living men tried to stay in their seats and not fall over in a similar fashion. But then, as suddenly as it had started, everything stopped. The wall Pete had been investigating then collapsed, raining down around him. They crashed together and dust rose up, obscuring the view of Pete from the others.

“Pete!” Patrick got to his feet and raced over to his friend, as well as the rest of FOB and MCR. Much to their surprise, after the dust had cleared, Pete was completely fine. The blocks of stone had fallen around him in a circle, not having hit him once. And behind what used to be the wall of stone were shelves of various bottles filled with powder.

“...This must be the Poison List.” Frank spoke, “Or what's left over, at least.”

“All that shaking must have gotten Gervasius' attention, and I think it'd be a really bad idea if he saw all this.” Gerard's mouth was set in a grim line, “He'll want me more once he finds this, if just to use these poisons against us somehow.”

“All of these are _poisons_?” Patrick whimpered.

“Yeah, at least that's what we think.” Bob said, “I mean, what else could these be?”

“Old foodstuffs, maybe.” Joe pointed out.

“Well, here's the book.” Mikey picked up the Poison List, “This is a book of poisons Spidantia and Scorxus apparently made together. There are illustrations in here of the poisons in liquid and powder forms, so it's possible some of these might be poisons.”

“I looked through it and I'm pretty sure most if not all of them are poisons.” Frank said, “Check if you don't believe me.”

“But how can you tell?” Pete was helped to his feet by Andy, “There aren't any labels on these things, so does the book have colored drawings?”

“No, but I remember the descriptions.” Frank pointed to a light green powder that was up at the top, which was several feet above their heads, “That one's called Harbinger, I think. I don't remember what it does, though.”

“Here, I found the entry.” Mikey had opened the book and flipped to a page, “It's supposed to be a paralyzer that only works if the person is asleep. Like _really_ asleep, not faking-sleep, I guess.”

“I'll get it and see if it matches the description.” Pete took hold of the shelves and began to climb them like a ladder.

“I don't think that's such a good-” Patrick tried to speak, then was cut off as the only empty shelf bent under Pete's foot and a click was heard. Suddenly a block of stone from the wall behind the shelves shot out between some of the vials and hit Pete in the stomach, going down back to the floor with him and pinning him. Thankfully he hadn't climbed far, but it was still a nasty fall.

“Ow...” Pete groaned, rubbing his sore head as Andy and Bob lifted the stone, allowing Patrick and Joe to swiftly pull their friend away and out from under the block.

“You don't have a concussion, do you?” 'Trick grew worried for his friend and began looking him over.

“I'm fine, Pat, just got a nasty hit to the head and stomach.”

“Don't call me Pat.”

“I guess all of this was the Trap Master's work, the one Gervasius was talking about back in the courtyard.” Andy said, “Do you think those are the only things he set up to guard this?”

“Maybe, maybe not.” Frank shrugged, “And if we want to keep those poisons at the top away from Gervasius, someone either has to knock them down or go up and get them again.”

“I could-”

“NO.” Patrick stopped Pete in his tracks with a sharp glare.

“Maybe it's on a weight sensor or something.” Mikey spoke, “You know, like how we see in those old adventure movies and stuff. If we were light enough, we might be able to climb past this shelf without setting off another trap.”

“But the stone already came out. What other trap could there be?” asked Joe.

“Maybe something worse than just a stone.” Bob said, “So who'd be light enough to go climbing?” All of them began thinking and slowly all of their eyes landed on Frank. He took notice of the stares and paled with a frown.

“Oh hell no...”

* * *

A few minutes later, Frank was ready to climb the wall (after some serious coaxing and promises that they would make sure he wouldn't fall onto the stone floor like Pete). Underneath the place where he would be climbing were all the coats and blankets Gerard had been cocooned in and the others were ready to catch Frank if he fell. As it was, the smallest of the men was nervous because of three things: one, that there might be more traps he could accidentally trigger, two was that he had no harness like if he was going rock-climbing (so how could he be sure they would catch him?), and three, how the hell had they managed to talk him into this again?

“We'll be here to catch you.” Gerard assured Frank, patting his shoulder as the younger looked up at the huge shelved wall.

“Oh fuck you.” Frank muttered, “Just be lucky that I'm doing this for you, okay?”

“Yeah, thanks.” Gerard smiled and Frank blushed before quickly making his way up the wall, growling lowly about something else that the others couldn't gather. The MCR singer watched like the rest as Frank continued to climb, making it safely past the trick shelf and all the way up to the top, which had to be at least five feet above the tallest's reach, which was probably Joe, Bob, or Ray. He grabbed the supposed vial of Harbinger and gently threw it down to them, where Bob caught it, then made his way down.

“Either there were no traps left or Mikey was right.” Frank said after getting down, “And I'm never doing that again.”

“I don't expect you to.” Pete shrugged, then looked at the wall, “No secret tunnel like I thought but just a wall of death. Great.”

“Hey, I think there's something in here.” Joe had been looking into the space of the block that had landed on Pete and reached his hand inside, soon pulling out an old scroll.

“What is it?” asked Ray. Joe brought it over to the table before he opened it, afraid of making it break on his first try. The other living men gathered around as it opened. On the inside was nothing. They were all disappointed until their vision went fuzzy.

“Oh no, not another one!” Mikey said. Bob and Gerard were the only ones not to have experienced a memory, so they were quite confused until they all got a look around. They were still in the library, of course, but there was some one else with them, studying a scroll. FOB was shocked to see he looked almost exactly like Patrick and hanging on his shoulders was a large bird, the size of a bald eagle at best. Beside one of his hands, laying on the table, was what they supposed was his crown. The library's doors suddenly opened, causing them all to look up to see Pete's doppelganger and a large black deer standing in the doorway.

 _“Are you coming, Percival?”_ he asked, the voice sounding all too familiar, _“You do not want to be late for Ferdinand's funeral, do you?”_

 _“Of course not, Paul, only...”_ Percival sighed and ran a hand through his hair, _“I am worried for the people.”_

_“Of who? Scorxus or-?”_

_“Spidantia.”_ Percival answered, _“I have been looking through our records to see if I could find a way to impeach Gervasius before things get worse. He has been, how should I put it,_ incendiary _since his return. You know of how he can take out his anger on his people and I do not wish to see them harmed.”_

 _“We may have no choice.”_ Paul said, _“And they are not the only ones to be worried about. As the rules go, until a new heir to Scorxus is named, Gervasius has full control and because they are now his people as well as those of Spidantia, it is likely they will also be targets to his anger.”_

_“...Then we can do nothing?”_

“ _We can only watch unless he takes drastic measures.”_ Paul walked over to him and held out a hand, which Percival took to stand. He put on his crown as the bird flew out of the room before following the other king out. The memory didn't clear up, though. A minute or two after the doors had closed, they opened again to show Gervasius and Romulus. Frank squeaked and hid behind his bandmates as the two entered the room. Gervasius glanced around, his face blank, then spotted the discarded scroll Percival had left behind. Grabbing it, the mad king examined it before rolling it back up. And when he had went to grab it, the living men backed up, still afraid that he could do something to them even though he was just a memory.

 _“They think they can discard me as if I was a lame steed.”_ he grinned darkly, _“Now that Ferdinand is gone, the rules will also be killed.”_ Romulus came back to his master holding a lit torch in his mandibles (as the windows in the memory showed it to be getting dark outside). Gervasius took the torch and touched one end of the parchment to the flames, causing it to be alight. He then threw the paper into the fireplace and handed the torch back.

 _“Let us see if they can be rid of me now! Without the rules, I am without bounds!”_ The king didn't laugh, like they expected. No, instead he stood for a few seconds, then said, _“...Please come home, Ferdinand. You are NOT dead, you are still at war, and I miss you.”_ The living men were shocked to hear this because Gervasius actually sounded sad for the first time since they had seen him. The king then turned with a blank face and left the room with Romulus. That was when the memory ended.

“...He's never sounded like that before. He's never sounded sad.” Frank admitted from his hiding place behind Andy, “Is he really so crazy he didn't believe Ferdinand was dead, even with the funeral?”

“He probably just didn't _want_ to believe it.” Gerard said, “I would feel the same way if one of you guys was dead, I think. He was in denial and now that you're here, he must think you're proof that Ferdinand was still around somehow. He thinks he was proven right and he wants to kill the rest of us because he's a crazy bastard and wants to protect you, even though we wouldn't do anything.”

“Don't forget how half of us look like people he used to know, so he thinks we might be back to ruin his plans.” Bob pointed out, “But I don't understand why he wants _all_ of us dead if only some of us look like we could throw a wrench into his plans.”

“We're the unpredictables.” Ray pointed out, “He doesn't know what we can do, so he wants to kill us _because_ of that. To him, it's possible we could do anything that ruins his plans, so he wants to get us out of the way so he doesn't have to face that. To put it simply, I think he's scared of us.”

“Scared? Ray, you know who you're talking about, right?” Mikey said, “Gervasius _doesn't_ get scared. He's dead, what does he have to fear?”

“Me.” Frank spoke up, “He wants to protect me for the time being, so you guys could threaten me and force him to back down.”

“But the second you become free he would be back with a vengeance.” Gerard said, “But I've got an idea. Next time we come across him, you could talk to him, try to calm him down. It's a long shot, but it might work.”

“Gee, I already risked my life climbing that shelf. Facing off against a ghost guy who's lost a few marbles for nearly a millennium isn't the best of your ideas.”

“But he's got a point and you know it.” Bob said.

“I do, but what if it doesn't work? What if he _does_ want to kill me?”

“Good point...”

“You guys want to speak up at all?” Mikey asked FOB. The band members shook their heads, still trying to wrap their heads around what they just saw. Seeing a younger Gervasius kill someone may have been fine, but seeing themselves-but-not-quite-themselves was so fucking _weird_.

“Well, let's backtrack a bit and take a look at the scroll.” Ray said, “It caused the memory, since while we've been in here nothing's happened. Maybe there are other items around that can cause memories.”

“But Montresor said Gervasius set them up as traps.” Andy pointed out, slowly coming out of the strangeness that he had seen, “What would be the point to put them in certain items if Gervasius wants to scare us away?”

“Maybe not all of them were made by Gervasius.” Mikey spoke, “Montresor made the one in his room, I think, to show who had murdered him. It's possible he could have made a few more across the castle or even that there's another ghost who made them. After all, the paper was hidden with these bottles and if Gervasius knew these were here, he would have gotten to them already. This was placed here for a reason by _someone else_.”

“Then it looks like we're not alone.” Joe held out the scroll, “Look at it, its changed.” Everyone did so and were surprised at what they saw. Words were written on the paper and they were in English. This is what it said:

 

_**If you managed to find this, then I congratulate you. I am trapped between worlds, not quite a ghost but not completely dead, either. I am here to help you if you will help me. So please, head to the dungeons, deeper than you have ever gone, for there are friends of mine trapped in those spaces and I am too weak to help them. You will know where to find them once you are in the Devil's Chamber.** _

 

“Looks like you were right, Patrick...” said Gerard, “This ghost guy needs our help and he can't do anything.”

“But what if he's out to get us too?” asked Frank.

“Then we'll have to take our chances. Montresor was our only hope besides ourselves and now that he's gone missing, getting another ghost friend would be a big help.” Gerard gave a nod, “Joe, keep that paper with you just in case our ghost friend wants to contact us again. Mikey, do you still have the brochure map?”

“Right here.” the younger Way spread it over the table, “I don't think I saw anything about a 'Devil's Chamber,' though.”

“Did you check the basement? That's where the ghost said his friends were.” Bob said.

“The farthest down the map goes is to the kitchen, which is on the same level as the cells where we had Gee locked up.”

“Then maybe the map can't show us everything.” Ray said, “Maybe Pete's right, in a way. There might be secret passages down there that lead elsewhere.”

“Then let's get going.” Frank said, “The faster we get out of here, the less we'll have to deal with the cuckoo king.”

“Right.” The rest of the men nodded and began making their way out of the room. Both Patrick and Pete were still silent over what they had seen, and as Pete was the last one going out, he paused at the doors. Looking inside, he saw the sword he had grabbed in the courtyard and the sheath Gerard had quickly discarded. Briefly, he wondered if it was a good idea to leave the two alone, out in the open. But, as he looked to see the group, he knew he didn't want to be left behind, so he closed the door and ran after them. Hopefully the items wouldn't be bothered, but he had a bad feeling he was going to be sorely wrong.


	11. We Were Doomed from the Start (The King is Dead)

Bob and Andy pulled open the heavy wooden door that lead down to the basement of Four Corners, which seemed to have gained weight since they last had to open it. Everyone had been down the stairs before, though Gerard hadn't gone as far as the others. He had only gone to the cells, though the kitchen wasn't far from them and was on the same level, if just a bit farther along. That was where they went first, getting food to eat for the day and allowing Gerard to rest. The bursts of adrenaline had worn him out, so he was much more tired than earlier.

“So, here's the kitchen, where we are now.” Mikey had the brochure spread out and pointed to the bottom of the map, “This is at the end of the hall, as we know, but the message said that we need to go farther than this. That means there must be another way to go farther down, possibly in here, the cells, or just the hall. That means we'll have to split into groups the check everything while one stays behind.”

“Why?” Ray asked.

“Simple. One, if a group gets caught somewhere, you won't be locked in because there isn't a lock on the door to the kitchen, so you can go after them. Two,” Mikey gave a nod to Gerard, who was taking a nap on the table after eating a large meal, “Three, if Gervasius comes after us, you can get to us first and warn us. Underground, we have the advantage because, for some reason, ghost powers don't work too well down here.”

“Then who's going to stay behind?” Pete asked.

“We'll need to draw straws, since I think it'd be safe enough for you guys to stay here if you and 'Trick wanted without getting hurt too much, Pete.”

“Does uncooked spaghetti work?” Patrick went over to a random cabinet and took out a box of the item.

“Sure, but how did you know that was there?”

“I took a look around the first time we were in here.” The FOB singer poured the box out onto the table.

“Let's break them into certain sizes for each group.” Andy suggested, already doing so, “Some in half, some with only a small part of the end off, some really short, and some we don't break at all. Not including Gerard, there's only 8 of us, so that would make 4 groups if we split evenly.”

“Good idea.” Frank nodded, “One group with Gee and three searching the hall and cells. The group that stays here can also check the kitchen for a way down.” They continued to split the pieces of spaghetti the best they could before allowing Joe to hold the pieces in his hand. They had mixed up the pieces so no one knew what they were getting before they began drawing. These were the results of the drawing: Patrick and Pete got long (stay behind), Mikey and Frank got half (search the hall), and Joe, Andy, Ray, and Bob got the half short and half long ones (search the cells).

“Stay safe.” The bands cautioned each other as they prepared to leave, especially Pete and Patrick. Most were uneasy leaving their friends alone, being as they were the ones most wanted by Gervasius, but they trusted Montresor's words on how ghosts didn't do as well underground. Grabbing the torch they had left behind after entering the kitchen, Pete lit it again with his lighter (it had burned itself out) and off they went.

“I never thought we'd have to go through something like this again.” Patrick muttered quietly after a few moments, trying not to wake Gerard.

“What do you mean?” Pete was already examining the floor and walls while Patrick stayed beside Gerard.

“The Youngblood Chronicles. Honestly, I'm glad what happened in those videos stayed fiction, but here...” Patrick swallowed nervously, “We can really die here, Pete. This isn't a video we're filming, this isn't Sixteen Candles or Youngblood Chronicles, there's no vampires or happy endings with Elton John. This is real life, and I'm scared of the consequences.”

“I know that. Everyone else is too, I'm sure. I mean, this is the first time we've had to deal with the supernatural, a lot worse than any Sixteen Candles Dandies or Courtney's cult, but not the first time we've had to deal with death.” Pete met Patrick's eyes, “You know what I mean, I know you do. All of us have had our own troubles trying to get through life. I nearly killed myself just because I wanted a little peace and quiet and if I can survive that, then I can survive this. We _all_ can.”

“Mm.” Patrick hummed, not deciding to speak, but then changed his mind and said, “Do you mind if I just stay here and keep an eye out while you look? I'd help and all, but from what we've heard from the others, I just don't want to encounter Gervasius again with our backs turned.”

“Fine by me.” Pete nodded, then resumed his search. Patrick didn't like not helping his best friend, but he did have a point. Even though ghosts were supposed to be weaker down here, Patrick didn't think they would be so lucky again if Gervasius found them, especially from behind. After all, from what he had gathered, apparently Gerard had been locked down here at first, but then Gervasius took control and escaped, leading to everything else. That meant Gervasius still had some control over his powers this deep underground and Patrick didn't want to get killed just because of a stupid mistake.

* * *

After lighting the torch, the groups had grabbed two other torches that had been hanging in the hall and got them lit from the original torch, giving them all a light source.

“Remember, Gervasius might come down here at any time, not to mention there might be traps.” Mikey said, “Stay on your guard, even if it looks like things are okay.”

“No need to tell us twice.” Joe muttered, and then they split. He and Andy, having gotten the half-short straws, searched the cells on the left. Ray and Bob, who had gotten the half-long straws, searched the right-hand cells. That left the hall to Mikey and Frank.

* * *

**Joe & Andy:**

“Hm mm mm...”

“Andy, why are you humming? Better yet, _what_ are you humming?”

“I'm nervous.” admitted the drummer, peeking under a bare-bones bed (barely a frame and mattress) that looked to only be around 20 years old, “And I don't know, but I think it's a _PAX AM Days_ song.”

“You've never hummed when you were nervous before.” Joe pointed out as he checked the walls.

“We've never been in so much danger before.” Andy put the cot back down, “Well, I've found nothing. What about you?”

“Nope.” Joe shook his head, “But let's look through this cell from top to bottom before we move on.”

“Right.” Andy nodded, “And I think the song I was singing, it was _We Were Doomed_.”

“That fits completely with what's happening, strangely enough.”

* * *

**Mikey & Frank:**

“Mmph!” Frank was stomping on the floor, trying to see if a block could be loose. Mikey was doing the opposite, checking the sides of the blocks to see if he could pull them up.

“Hey, think you could stop doing that just in case we have to pull one up?” Mikey said with a frown.

“Well, they could also go downwards!” Frank said, ceasing his stomping for the moment, “I mean, guards used to go through here all the time and I know that, but there's always the chance of a loose stone block. It's been nearly a thousand years and thing had to have worn away, right?”

“This isn't going to be easy, Frank. You saw what the Trap Master could do back in the library, we all did.”

“I know that.” Frank sighed softly, “Just... I wish I had got to stay behind.”

“I do too, but we made our choices.” Mikey said, “Let's keep looking.” Frank nodded somberly before going back to checking the blocks.

* * *

**Ray & Bob:**

“I think this is the cell where Gerard was locked up, I think.” Ray tapped his foot on the surface of the fallen door, “I just wonder how Gervasius had enough power to control him and get out with a locked door.”

“Well, the hinges are out, so I think that explains it.” Bob had knelt beside the door to take a closer look, then said, “Do we really have to check here? I mean, if there was a path out of the castle in here, then wouldn't Gervasius have blocked it?”

“Maybe, but it's not like he expects us to find it. After all, he wasn't the Trap Master.” Ray walked over to a wall, where there were chains, “This is new.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don't remember seeing these in here when we tricked Gervasius into coming in here.” Ray held one of the chains and found it to be a bit heavy.

“He could have covered them up somehow.” Bob stood, going over to join Ray.

“With what? There was nothing in here and then suddenly these chains are here.”

“Gervasius could have hidden them with his ghost powers. The only thing I don't get is how he managed to keep it up since we're underground.”

“He's stronger than Montresor is. He may not have been a ghost as long, but he's definitely stronger. I don't think he had much of a problem covering these up, like making them invisible or something.” Ray tugged on one of the chains and found the block it was attached to to be loose, “Hey, check the other chain. I think we can get these loose.” Bob nodded and picked up the other chain, tugging on it. After a few moments, Ray and Bob managed to free the blocks from the wall, leaving two gaping holes. Nothing happened.

“Maybe if we-” Bob began, but then he was cut off as the ground under them gave away. They screamed before hitting the sharp jabs of the steps of a staircase, tumbling down head-over-heels for several moments before ending up in a heap. The noise they had made attracted the others, who came running.

* * *

**Together:**

“Guys!” Frank cried into the black hole in the floor, fearful for his friends.

“We're okay!” came Ray's painful and echoing reply.

“Trust us!” added Bob, until there was a resounding smack, “Ow! What was that for?!”

“Not the time, Bob!”

“They're okay.” Mikey shook his head at their unseen antics, then called into the hole, “What happened?”

“We pulled on some chains in the wall until they came free, then WHAM! We find ourselves falling down a staircase!” Ray said.

“We can't see a thing!” Joe said, “Yours must have went out when you fell!” Andy leaned down and shown the light of his torch into the hole. Instantly the three groups could see stone stairs heading downward in a spiral. The stairs didn't look too far away, either, maybe about a 3- to 4-foot jump.

“We're coming down!” called the FOB drummer.

“Good luck.” Patrick told them, knowing he and Pete had to stay behind.

“You too.” Frank gave him a small salute before he, Mikey, Joe, and Andy began jumping into the hole.

“I'm got a bad feeling about this...” Pete muttered quietly once the torchlight had disappeared.

“I know.” Patrick agreed, then stood up again, “Let's get back to Gerard.”

“Wait.” Pete joined him in standing, “I just had a thought about something, but you'll probably want to kill me for it.” The bassist held out the brochure, which he had hidden behind his back. Patrick raised an eyebrow.

“You snatched that off Mikey? Don't tell me you're going off on your own to check out the castle!”

“I'm not checking it out. I need to go grab the Spidantia sword we left behind just so Gervasius can't get to it first.”

“Then let me-”

“No.” Pete shook his head, “You can't go out. Gervasius doesn't know about you yet, and if he learns about you, you're dead, worse off than anyone else in this crazy place. Besides, someone needs to keep an eye on Gerard, he's really weak right now.”

“What if Gervasius comes for him and sees me?”

“He won't. He can't, not with Gerard still so tired.”

“...” Patrick stared at his friend, “...Please don't take too long.”

“I won't.” Pete took his best friend into a hug, “I promise.” Giving Patrick a small pat on the shoulder, they left the room and the singer watched as the bassist walked down the hall. The FOB singer was nervous and terrified for Pete, but knew the older man was right. Someone had to watch over Gerard and there was little chance Gervasius would come after the MCR singer so soon. It was a bad idea to split up, but if Gervasius got his hands on the sword again, they might not stand a chance. Of course, Gerard was protected by the necklace, but for how long? And did it even work? They had no idea and if it didn't, then keeping the sword on themselves and away from him was a good choice, even better if Gervasius couldn't control Gerard.

Feeling that he was overthinking this, Patrick shook his head and went back to the kitchen. He sat beside the still-sleeping Gerard at the small table in the middle of the room and began to wait for Pete's or the groups' return. He tapped his fingers and nervously looked over at Gerard, as if the older singer would suddenly wake up and attack him. He paused as a suddenly chill came over the room and looked to the doorway, the only entrance or exit to the kitchen. There was nothing there, but a knot of uneasiness had settled into Patrick. His eyes flitted about the room, as if trying to spot something out of place, but he caught nothing until he suddenly couldn't breathe.

He gasped, trying to get air in and clawed at his neck, as if that would free him from the mysterious grip on him. But there was nothing holding his neck, at least not what he could feel, but it was cold around there. Patrick tried to make a sound, tried to wake Gerard up for help, but nothing came out and he was losing consciousness fast. He tried to reach the older man but was tugged away, out of reach. Fear could be seen in his eyes as he was turned around and slammed against the edge of the table by seemingly nothing. That is, until Gervasius suddenly appeared, his red eyes wild with a grin on his face as he choked Patrick, ghostly hands growing tighter around the singer's neck every second.

 _“I do not know how you escaped, but it is about time I ended this for good.”_ said the mad king, _“I do not usually get physical, but you will always be the exception, Percival. You ended my previous life and you have now come to destroy this one. I will not let that happen.”_ Patrick could feel his senses fading even more as the darkness closed in, _“So long and goodnight, child.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, first I have to say that I was surprised when I found a song about a dead king while going through FOB discography, but I liked it and decided to put it here in the story a little bit. Second, I'm not sure I have any notes I need to make unless you want something explained, so I hope you like this chapter, Youngbloods and Killjoys!


	12. Woke Up on the Wrong Side of Paradise

Slowly, Gerard's eyes flickered open and he found himself in the kitchen alone. He knew this felt wrong somehow, but his mind was still tired and trying to catch up to the situation at hand.

“Guys?” he asked quietly, turning his head to look around, “Mikey? Frank? ...Anyone?” He felt pricks of fear crawl up his spine as he realized he really was alone, and then he remembered _why_ it was a bad idea to be alone. The fear intensified immensely and Gerard gripped the table's edge with white knuckles. He jumped when he suddenly heard a few thumps and shot his head around to find the sound. His eyes landed on a walk-in freezer, off to the side of the three fridges that no one had bothered to notice because it wasn't important at the time. Gerard stared as another thump came from its direction and wondered if he should go over and investigate. It might be a trap, but if someone had managed to trap a ghost in there, then that would be one less creature/man to deal with.

Slowly, Gerard stood up and took hesitant steps toward the freezer. He jumped and stepped back slightly when there was another thump, but once things had settled down, he went closer. There was a small window at the height of his eyes set into the freezer with a sliding cover and once he was close enough, Gerard swiftly pulled it back. His eyes widened when he saw different colored ones looking back at him, just as fearful. He _knew_ those eyes, they belonged to-

 _“I would not do that if I were you.”_ The window was slid closed again and Gerard jerked back, spinning around to see Gervasius behind him. With a yelp, the MCR singer backed into the freezer door, frightened. There was another large thump behind him from who was in the freezer, like they were trying to tell him to run or to move. Gerard was really scared that if he did, though, he would be possessed again.

“W-what do you want now?” Gerard stammered, “Who are you trying to hurt?”

 _“Just Percival. I want to watch him freeze to death, just like how he burned my body once I was dead, as if he was sure I would come back to life if he did not!”_ Gervasius snickered, _“But I_ do _need to use you.”_

“No!” Gerard shook his head, “I'm not letting you do it again!”

 _“Then why do you only stand there?”_ Gerard was about to agree with him (why the hell _was_ he still standing here? He should be running!) when something about Gervasius' face caught his eye. Though the ghost had a smile on his face, the edges of his smile were twitching, as if he didn't want to be smiling.

“Something's wrong.” Gerard gathered his courage, “Something's wrong and you know it, but you're trying to hide it.” Gervasius let his smile drop.

 _“Perhaps.”_ the mad king held up his hand, his fingers together as if to snap, _“However, it is not something you should be concerned with.”_ Gerard wanted to stop him from what he was about to do, but as the singer moved forward, the ghost snapped his fingers. Instantly everything changed, with flames everywhere and appliances turned into monsters.

 _“Have fun!”_ Gervasius waved before disappearing. Gerard knew that this was just an illusion, but he couldn't help ducking when he saw plates with bat wings divebombing him. He turned around, planning to help the man stuck in the freezer, but then saw the freezer open with a very toothy mouth, ready to eat him. Gerard yelped and bolted, covering his head as more plates and even utensils followed him out and tried to hit his head. It may have just been an illusion, but it was a very good one!

* * *

“There you are!” Pete picked up the sword and slid it into the sheath. It had taken a while (as well as a few wrong turns) to get to the library, but he had managed and now had the sword with him. Gervasius now couldn't use it, but as he looked up, Pete wondered if he should dispose of the Poison List as well. He didn't want things like Harbinger and such slipping into their food or something, but how was he supposed to get rid of the ones past the trick shelf? Shaking his head, he knew there was no way to reach them at this moment, so after he put on the sheath (this was so he could have more room in his arms), he began grabbing the bottles and throwing them into the still-lit fireplace. As they smashed against the stone, some burned quietly while others gave small explosions. The powder was either burned or flew up the chimney with the smoke, Pete could see this and he was glad that they wouldn't have to deal with any stray powder floating in the air like dust when he and the bands returned.

He frowned as he looked to the unreachable bottles and hoped that Gervasius couldn't find a way to get them down before he left. Closing the doors behind him, Pete brought out the brochure and checked the map for a way back. As his eyes scanned it, something occurred to him, something he had talked about before with the bands.

_ “But what about the power?” asked Andy, “Since this place is renovated, then shouldn't there be a backup generator?” _

_ “It would be just our luck that Gervasius took that out too.” Joe shook his head. _

_ “But maybe we can fix the damage and get the power back on.” Frank was optimistic. _

_ “You won't.” Gerard suddenly spoke, his voice quiet and solemn, “I know you won't because I can feel it. I may not remember how he used me, but I get the feeling that after what I did, the power system is gonna be trashed.” _

_“Doesn't mean we can't still check it and see if we can fix it.” Patrick was on Frank's side, trying to be optimistic..._

Yeah, the guys had talked about it while he and Mikey had been trying to open the wall last night. There may have been a chance that there was a way to get the power back on, despite Gerard's feelings, and Pete wanted to find out if that chance was right. With the power back on, they wouldn't have to be so afraid of the dark anymore. They would be able to see farther without the light of a torch and that would be great, considering Gervasius seemed to like being in the shadows or appearing whenever he wanted. Once the power was back, he wouldn't be able to use one of those tactics anymore and it would give the living men an advantage. There was just one question on Pete's mind, though:

Where was the damn fuse box?!

* * *

“I wonder if we're making a mistake coming down here.”

“Pretty sure, but the guy sounded desperate in the note. If we don't help him, then we'll all feel guilty about it.”

“I know, I know...” The living men were quietly muttering to each other as they trekked down the hallway. After meeting up with Ray and Bob at the bottom of the stairs, they had found a hallway off to the side. It was a thin but tall hallway too, forcing them to go one-by-one, making them nervous that they could be cut down quickly if there was a trap down here. Even though they had only encountered one trap so far, they were sure there had to be other traps around.

Suddenly there was a small click but everyone heard it, causing them to look around. Then the hallway began to shake with a rumble and they knew they were in for it, since they didn't know what was coming. Deciding to take their chances, Mikey gestured to the walls.

“Step back!” he said, and they all flattened against the walls on either side. It was a good thing too, as a giant bladed pendulum swung down between them, then back again before it hid back in its place in the ceiling.

“...Next time, let's watch where we're stepping.” Joe muttered, his voice shaking from being nearly missed by the deadly device.

“And if that thing's here, then maybe we're going in the right direction.” Frank added, “But was it just me, or did you guys notice something about the blade?”

“Yeah, it didn't look shiny in the light of our torches.” Andy agreed, “Do you think it could have been dull or covered in dust?”

“Either one of those is likely, except why would someone make a torture device with no intent to kill?” Bob questioned.

“Maybe the Trap Master Gervasius mentioned doesn't want to hurt anyone. Maybe he just wants to scare people away.” Ray said.

“Well, he's doing a damn good job of it.” Mikey said, “Let's keep going.” Hesitantly, now with more care to where they stepped, they continued on until they came to a large dark area. It was too large for their torches to cover everything, so they could only see out into the small circle of light around them.

“Do you suppose there are extra torches in here for us to light?” asked Ray, “I don't like this place...”

“There's a rope over here. Maybe if I-” Joe had seen the shape of a thin rope over to the side and lit it, thinking that maybe it could help light up the room. As soon as the fire touched the rope, the flames were zooming off. The rope lead upwards and more was revealed as the fire ate it up, trailing the rope as it moved away from the wall and into the middle of the room, to a large, spartan and bulky chandelier. There were old candles on it and the rope went past them, but the fire leapt to them as if attracted to the wicks and soon the whole room was lit because of the chandelier. The rope finished by hanging off of it slightly as the rest of the fire finished it off and extinguished. But no one cared about the fire once the room was lit up, though.

Everyone was looking around as they saw various pieces of 'furniture' around the room. And by 'furniture,' everything was a deadly torture device. There were racks, one with another bladed pendulum hanging above it, as well as an Iron Maiden off to the side near a garrote and a Judas Cradle. There were various other torture devices in the room and all looked like they had been used at some point, since they had a blackish substance that covered them.

“...I think we've found the Devil's Chamber.” Whoever had spoken had sounded sick and no one blamed them, since they all felt a bit sick at the sight themselves. They also didn't want to, but they knew they had to look around and get bearings on the place so they did, pushing each other to move forward and take a look.

“This is all Gervasius' doing.” Andy said as he looked down into a huge pit that was in the middle of the room, “Has to be.”

“Just how did he manage to hide all this?” Mikey spoke as he looked into a large cage with bars so close together that you could barely slip a pinky through. On the inside were the skeletons of several rats, and there were more cages like that one scatter about as well as ones that held snakes.

“Who knows?” Bob shrugged, “And I thought guillotines weren't invented until the French Revolution!” he was standing beside a device that looked similar to said torture device, but instead of a slanted blade the blade was straight, as well as being a bit thicker than the traditional guillotine.

“There are a lot of things in this place that were invented before their time.” Frank said, then noticed something that seemed to be out of place. He walked over to the rack, where there was a dagger sticking out of the wood. The metal of the dagger was nothing spectacular except for the fact that it still seemed to be sharp, but the handle was strange. It was an all leather handle with a metal carving of a web and a Danger Days-looking spider set into it, as well as a stone guard that separated the two substances. A shiver went through him as he realized who this belonged to.

“Guys?” Ray spoke up, “Now that we've uncovered this, how pissed do you think Gervasius is going to be?”

“Who knows?” Frank said, then with a streak of courage, he grabbed the dagger and pulled it out of the wood. The dagger easily came out, surprisingly, but then things began to get foggy and they knew another memory was coming. However, it wasn't of the chamber they were in, like they expected. They huddled together as their surroundings changed to show the inside of a cottage with a few candles scattered about, giving the place light. Suddenly a knock came to the front door and a woman came out of another room to answer it. Frank gasped because she looked just like Jamia and they all grew afraid when Gervasius was shown to be on the other side of the door.

 _“O-oh! King Gervasius!”_ the woman bowed, _“I did not expect to have a visitor such as yourself tonight! I am sorry that I have not cleaned things up, for I would have if I had known you would visit me!”_

 _“Do not worry.”_ Gervasius waved her off, _“May I come in?”_

 _“Of course, of course!”_ the woman stepped aside and in came the mad king, _“Would you like something?”_

 _“No, I am fine.”_ Gervasius went and sat at her table, _“I have come to talk.”_

_“What of, sire?”_

_“Please, sit.”_ Gervasius gestured to another chair that was at the table. The woman took it and nervously waited to hear what he would say next, _“Your name is Jiera, correct?”_

 _“Y-yes, sire.”_ she nodded.

_“An unusual name. May I ask where it is from?”_

_“I was born in the lands of the Baltic tribes west of here, so I suppose that is where my name is from.”_

_“Interesting. And you have heard of Ferdinand's...demise, have you not?”_ Gervasius seemed to wince at the mention of what happened to Ferdinand. Tears welled up in Jiera's eyes as well.

 _“Y-yes.”_ she sniffed, _“He was a great king, sire. And though he is gone now, I am glad you are leading us until we have a new king.”_

 _“Thank you.”_ Gervasius took one of her hands gently, _“I have heard that you had a son some time ago, during the season when the leaves fell.”_

 _“Yes, many of those seasons ago I had my firstborn, Erik.”_ Jiera gave a tearful smile, _“He is in another room asleep. I had only put him to bed when you came.”_

 _“May I see him?”_ This drew a confused look from Jiera, but she nodded anyways.

 _“Of course!”_ she stood up and the others were getting a bad feeling from this, _“This way, sire.”_ Gervasius stood to follow her and she entered another room, expecting him to follow. He began walking and as he did so, he reached down into his left boot and pulled out the same dagger Frank was still holding. He removed it silently and held it in his hand as he entered behind her.

 _“This is-”_ Jiera was cut off and a sickly gurgle was heard, as well as a thump. The men viewing the memory stayed where they were, not wanting to see what had happened. They could still hear Gervasius though.

 _“You are a whore's child.”_ he said lowly, _“Yet your are also Ferdinand's child. Be lucky he is the reason I cannot kill you. And because you are his child,”_ There was some movement from the other room, _“I will take you with me.”_ Gervasius soon came back with a young boy in his arms, no older than 5 or 6 who was dressed in the simplest clothes. The boy had black hair as dark as a raven and was holding onto Gervasius under the robe, still asleep and dead to the world. The mad king's face was soft as he looked down at the young boy in his arms before he went to the door, opening it before taking the boy with him out into the night. That was the end of the memory, as things soon went back to normal for the men.

“It was bad enough to watch him murder someone, but to take a kid as well just because he's the child of the guy's lover? Ugh...” Ray really felt like he wanted to be sick now as he shook his head.

“Ferdinand had an affair and somehow, Gervasius knew about it.” Frank's legs were weak and he found himself falling on his ass, the dagger in his hands shaking in time with what held it as well as the man's voice, “The only reason the kid didn't die was because Gervasius didn't want to destroy his only connection to the one he loved. And he doesn't care what stands in his way as long as he gets what he wants.”

“Easy...” Mikey knelt down and slowly took the dagger away so as not to provoke him, setting it aside and gently kicking it out of reach, “You okay?”

“...” Frank whimpered as he continued to stare at his hands as if the dagger was still there, eyes wide.

“He's in shock.” Andy knelt as well and began rubbing Frank's back gently, “But he never did this before.”

“My guess if Jiera and the kid, Erik.” Mikey said, “Jiera looks a lot like Jamia, his wife, and Erik kind of looks like Miles, Frank's only son, if he was older. Her dead and the kidnapping might have been what made him like this.”

“I see.”

“That must be awful.” Joe said, “We should head back and come here later.”

“Good idea.” Bob picked up Frank easily and, to make him feel better, had the smaller man ride on his shoulders. Frank held onto Bob's hands (which held the guitarist's legs) as if they were his lifelines while the group began heading back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here's another chapter, Youngbloods and Killjoys! And here are some notes:
> 
> 1\. Jiera is a Lithuanian name and I used it because I needed a nice J-name that would work for Jamia's counterpart.
> 
> 2\. The underlined italics indicate things that happened earlier in the story that someone is remembering.
> 
> 3\. The pendulum in the hallway was one of the last traps made by the Trap Master, which was after Gervasius was killed. This is a hint to who the Trap Master is if you haven't figured it out yet.
> 
> 4\. And yes, after looking back through my story, I realized there are several things in here that were invented AFTER the 1000s, but I get the feeling they were able to be made because the four kingdoms are so isolated that they advanced themselves a bit farther than the rest of the world. That, and because I have artistic license!
> 
> 5\. Erik is actually a bigger part of the story than you'd think, but I'm not telling you why right now. You'll see!
> 
> 6\. The chandelier in the Devil's Chamber looks similar to the one that is going to be in the ballroom once we get there, but it's not the same one.
> 
> 7\. The title is a reference to a line in one of Fall Out Boy's new songs from the album M A N I A.
> 
> 8\. Gervasius not only has the ability to touch living people and work with wind and locks but he can also cause others to view illusions, as shown a few chapters earlier.
> 
> 9\. The dagger picture above is the same relative shape as Gervasius' dagger, except the blade is completely smooth and not as long as well as not having a proper sheath. If you can hide various things in your boots, then why not a dagger? The boots were specially made to have an inside sheath, which is why Gervasius can walk around without worrying about getting his leg or foot cut on the sharp blade.
> 
> 10\. The last scene where Bob carries Frank on his shoulders is from an interview back in Revenge-Era that I thought would work nice here.
> 
> 11\. The various torture devices described here except for the guillotine variant are actual torture devices. Trust me when I say you don't wanna know what some of those do... *shivers* But if you do, look for it on Wikipedia. That's where I got all this and it also proves Gervasius isn't right in the head. And the blackish substance that covered them? Same as what Montresor wrote on the floor when he was dying in an earlier chapter: very old blood.
> 
> Well, that should be all the notes for now. See you guys later!


	13. "You Broke Our Spirit," Says The Note We Pass

Pete soon came to the conclusion that the fuse box had to be hidden out of the way, where normal people wouldn't come across it. That left either Phonicamy Tower or the Unknown Kingdom section, as the brochure said both were off-limits to visitors, and seeing as the tower was closer, that's where the bassist went (he wasn't about to go back to the Unknown Kingdom section alone, it was fucking _creepy_ ). He followed the map to the tower and began climbing the stairs, shivering as he passed the windows, where cold air blew in and he could see how high he was going. Eventually he got to the top, which was the sheet-covered room. Spotting the fuse box on the other side, Pete raced to check it out and winced when he saw how badly it was damaged.

“There's no way this thing will be back in action any time soon...” he muttered, closing it after seeing the torn wires and lack of fuses, “I wonder what's under all this, though.” Curious, he looked around the room and pulled some sheets off of items as he did so. He didn't find anything interesting, just extra furniture and such, until he looked up. That was when he saw the padlocked trapdoor and he frowned in confusion. What could be on the next level that was so important that they had to lock it up? The padlock was also old and rusty, looking like it could come off at any minute, so Pete went and grabbed a crowbar that he had previously spotted and used it to bash the lock off. The trapdoor was then free and he pulled it open, allowing a ladder to drop down. Keeping the crowbar in hand (just in case, you know?), the dyed blond then began going up to the second level.

The space above was barely that of an attic, if anything. It was too small for Pete to stand and only held a golden birdcage with a cloth covering it. The edges of the cloth at the bottom were burnt and the man could see ashes spilling over the edges of the cage and onto the ground. Pete gasped as he realized that this could mean only one thing, if it were true.

“Solis? Solis the Phoenix? You still there?” To his surprise, he was answered with a large caw, as if the bird had been waiting forever just to hear another voice. Pete reached over and pulled off the cloth, revealing the orange-gold feathers of the eagle-sized bird he had seen before, in the memory in the library. Solis gave a small trill and tried to push her beak between the bars, as if wanting Pete to pet her or let her go. The musician wanted to do that so much, but he couldn't find a door on the cage.

“Easy.” he stuck a hand between the bars and ran it through her feathers, finding her to be comfortably warm despite the cold temperature of the attic, “I can't find a way to get you loose right now, so I'm going to take you with me downstairs.” Solis gave a small sound of agreement, so Pete tugged the cage over and started the challenge of getting the cage downstairs without dropping it and hurting the phoenix.

* * *

Patrick shivered as he held himself, curled into a ball and trying to conserve heat. His whole body was growing colder the longer he stayed in the icy prison and, though he had tried to escape earlier, it was no use. The door was shut tight, probably locked, and the only one who knew he was in here was now running for his life somewhere in the castle. He also had no idea how long he had been out. It could have been only a few minutes to even an hour or more. And his throat hurt, he probably had bruises starting to form there already. Despite the pain, though, he had tried singing to attract attention. There was a small vent at the top of the room that was too small for him to fit and he was sure his voice managed to carry through it somewhere, so he hoped his friends could hear it in time. He didn't think he was going to last much longer in here.

“ _Sometimes before it gets better the darkness gets bigger, the person that you'd take a bullet for is behind the trigger..._ ”

* * *

_“My my my, you really are pathetic, are you not?”_

“Shut the fuck up, you bastard!”

 _“I would not talk like that if I were you, as I am not the one trapped under a suit of armor.”_ Gervasius was leaning against the wall, watching as Gerard struggled to get out of one of the traps the mad king had set up while the living man had still been in his control. It wasn't so much as the armor was heavy (because it definitely was), but more of the point that Gerard was having trouble untangling himself from the armor. The mad king snickered at Gerard's struggling while glancing around, trying to spot something. And when he saw it, so far away from his puppet, he grinned.

_“You have no protection now, you know.”_

“No pro-?” Gerard was confused at first until he realized what Gervasius was talking about. With a panicked movement he felt around his neck and found that it wasn't there anymore. He had still been confused before, back in the kitchen, and hadn't realized Gervasius couldn't touch him. He had been told about the necklace, but now, it was to be all in vain.

 _“Yes.”_ Gervasius knelt and tilted his head to the side, still grinning, _“No protection. But before I control you again, I have but one question. What are your feelings towards Ferdinand?”_

“...What?” Gerard started at the ghost in confusion.

 _“Do you feel love towards him, like I?”_ Gervasius made a hand movement to go along with his words, _“Or do you see him as nothing more than a friend?”_

“I...” Gerard seemed to slump with defeat at the questions, “Once, a long time ago, I really did like him. But then things changed.”

 _“Why?”_ Now Gervasius was truly curious, the grin gone, _“Did you confess? Did he reject you?”_

“No, nothing like that.” Gerard didn't know why he was telling the murderous ghost about this, but at least he was prolonging the inevitable, “It's my fault. I was the one who rejected him.”

_“But you said-”_

“I know what I said. I just got tired of him not coming out to me and I fell in love with someone else.” Gerard sighed, “Besides, he's got someone else now, just like me. We're fine.”

 _“...You are a horrible liar.”_ Gervasius snarled, his whole demeanor now changed as he frowned, _“You are not 'fine!'_ He _is not fine!You have a great heartache in your chest despite your words, even I can see that! You may have fallen for someone else, but you will always love him! I am proof of that.”_ Then the ghost king did something that surprised Gerard. Gervasius gently put his hand on the singer's cheek and tilted Gerard's head to look at him, _“Do you not realize this was not fate that guided you to come here? Ferdinand was given a second chance, I was given a second chance,_ you _were given a second chance! If you will allow me to use your body, I can repair what you once had with him. You and I, we are the same person in certain ways, so I will not be mad if you leave here with him.”_ Gervasius' grip tightened slightly, _“He deserves to be happy, even if he does not fall for me again.”_

“...” Gerard wasn't sure if the ghost was telling the truth or not. Gervasius was crazy, but at the moment, he seemed sincere, “You'd really do that for me?”

_“Of course.”_

“...Okay, I'll let you have control. But only if you promise not to hurt anyone else.”

 _“I promise.”_ Gervasius raised another hand to grip Gerard's face gently and somehow, the living man felt safe in his crazy doppelganger's embrace. Gerard took a deep breath and closed his eyes, letting the breath out slowly to calm himself.

“Do it.” The ghost needed no prompting, leaning forward until he was in Gerard and soon he had control once again. He smiled darkly as he easily got out of the tangle of armor and dusted himself off.

 _ **“** **Oh, what a fool! Did he not realize those words meant nothing? Ferdinand will be mine and he can do nothing to stop me!”**_ he began walking away, taking care to give the discarded necklace a wide berth, **_“He is still weak, but I believe there is something I can use to counteract this...”_**

* * *

Frank had managed to snap out of his stupor by the time they had reached the stairs and by then, he knew they couldn't leave the second basement level just yet.

“We need to go back.” he said after Bob had put him back down.

“What?!”

“Are you crazy?!”

“Hell no!” He was met with various reactions but was unfazed. He held up a hand and was unsurprised when they quieted.

“Look, I know it sounds weird, but we can't leave yet. We need to find whoever gave us the note and they can help us. Maybe they can even tell us what happened to Erik.” Frank had quietly said the last part, as if not wanting the others to hear, but they did. It made them realize that this had become more personal for the guitarist in a way. Though they had not really been Miles and Jamia, Jiera and Erik had hit him hard and now he wanted to find out what had happened to the doppelganger of his son.

“No.” Mikey shook his head, “There was no other way out of that room, let alone trapped ghosts. All that was there was old blood and a terrible memory. There's nothing left to find.”

“We didn't keep searching!” Frank pointed out, his voice tinged with anger, “We got scared off! We found this place because of a secret passage, which means there could be another one back there!”

“Maybe, but you're not in your right mind to do it!” Mikey shot back, raising his voice, “You need to cool down and forget about that memory! You know it really wasn't Jamia and Miles!”

“I do, but that doesn't mean I can't care! What if you had just seen Gerard die? What would you feel?” Frank snarled.

“Calm down guys.” Andy stepped in between the two band members, gently putting his hands on their chests in case either of them wanted to get physical, “This is not the time and we might say things that we shouldn't say.”

“He's right. If we start arguing, then we're going to go nowhere.” Joe said.

“Well, I'm going back!” Frank jerked away from Andy and headed back to the hallway, “I don't care what you guys think, I'm going to follow my instincts and help whoever's trapped down here!”

“Oh my-” Mikey growled and ran a hand through his hair, “He can't go alone, he'll get himself killed! Where's Gee when you need him?” Mikey continued to mutter things to himself as he chased after Frank.

“Here we go again.” Bob spoke and the rest of the men went after their friends.

* * *

“Easy, don't jump...” Pete cautioned as he sawed the Spidantia sword against the bars of Solis' cage. It was too messy to try it in Phonicamy Tower so he had moved down to the Hall of History. Solis shifted nervously in her cage, watching as the sword slowly got through one bar at a time. Pete was cutting the bars all the way around so he could just pop the top off like is some birdcages he had seen (that may-or-may-not have come from old Tom and Jerry cartoons), but it was going slowly. He took the blade away so he could rest and growled when he saw that the blade had dulled.

“I wish there was a smithery around here so I could sharpen this thing up again.” he put the sword aside, “But there are still three other swords I can use in here.” He turned his head away and didn't see the eye roll Solis gave him. She didn't expect him to know that there actually _was_ a smithery in the castle with a stone wheel to sharpen the sword, but it wasn't like she could tell him. He may have looked a bit like Paul, but he sure as hell didn't act like the king.

“Huh. Who leaves keys lying around at a time like this?” Pete picked up a key ring filled with keys that had been discarded on the floor near the empty case that had once held the Spidantia sword, “Well, I'm not complaining if this can help me free you.” Cautiously, as if there was a trap to be found there, Pete went over to the obsidian-hilted sword, the Unknown Kingdom sword. He flipped through the keys and tried each one until he was able to open the case. He grabbed the sword and gently slid it out, where it was soon in his hand and glinting as if not a day had passed since it was first made. Pete stared at it, mesmerized, and ran a hand along the edge. He barely noticed when his eyes fogged up with the presence of a memory and when he looked around, not much looked different. But instead of seeing Solis, he saw Gervasius leaning on a window, looking outside. The king wasn't wearing his usual clothes, instead wearing an all-black ensemble, and it seemed music was coming from outside. Scared of the king but wanting to know what was going on, Pete walked over to a nearby window. Outside he could see a large crowd gathered in the courtyard, dressed in black like Gervasius, with a stage set up in the farthest corner. On the stage were some people playing horns and what looked to be ancient guitars with a strange sound to them. They were on either side of a large, rectangular stone coffin with a scorpion engraved upon it, and suddenly Pete knew when he was.

He was at Ferdinand's funeral.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. The guitar-like instrument described at the funeral is called a gittern, sort of like a precursor to the guitar near the time period the memories are set at.
> 
> 2\. I imagine the freezer to be set at 0 degrees Fahrenheit = a little over -17 degrees Celsius. At that temperature, it'll take at least 30 minutes for frostbite to set in, and a possible 2 hours to death. So yeah, someone might want to go find Patrick. QUICKLY.  
> EDIT: Sorry about the misconception with the temperature, one of the reviewers helped to point it out and I realized I was wrong, so thanks. I've corrected it and it should be right now.
> 
> 3\. The lyrics in the title are from The Phoenix and the lyrics Patrick is singing is from Miss Missing You.
> 
> 4\. A smithery has two meanings: One, what a smith makes. Two, where a smith works. The story uses the latter term.
> 
> 5\. In Chapter 3, Gervasius had grabbed a key ring to get to the Spidantia sword the first time. He had left it behind and Pete is the one to find it.
> 
> Well, that's all I'm explaining for now. As it is, Killjoys and Youngbloods, if something's wrong that you see, tell me and I'll fix it. I hope you like this chapter!


	14. Can We Pretend To Leave And Then We'll Meet Again When Both Our Cars Collide?

_Percival ran his fingers through Solis' feathers in a comforting motion, both to calm himself and the bird. Solis gave a sad sound as she sat on his arm, which the other phoenixes echoed. Many phoenixes were usually off on their own and partnered with no one, but they knew the importance of this day and had complied at Solis' asking to help in the ceremony. Speaking of which, it was about to begin, but one person was missing._

_“Percival, do you suppose we should start without him?” asked Paul, “It does not look like he is coming to the funeral of his best friend.” Percival glanced around to see no sign of Gervasius in the crowd that had gathered, made up of various people from the four kingdoms, most of which were from Scorxus. However, unlike Paul, he also looked up, as was his habit from having a bird as your constant companion. Above, in the Tapestry Hall that went over the courtyard, he could see someone in black watching them. As this was a day of mourning, the hall had been closed off, but as he looked closer, Percival realized that that was no ordinary man._

_“He is here.” Percival nodded to the hall, “He only wishes to be left alone with his grief.” Paul followed Percival's gaze to see the man in black in the Tapestry Hall. Slowly, the older king nodded._

_“I see. I suppose I will start the ceremony now.” he looked back at the king of Phonicamy, “Are you sure you wish to have no speaking parts? Your voice carries more than mine.”_

_“Perhaps, but your words have greater weight. Someone needs to comfort Scorxus in this dark time and I cannot do that too well.”_

_“As you wish.” Paul walked away from the younger king and up the steps of the stage. The music stopped and the crowd quieted as the second-oldest king prepared to speak._

_“Hello, everyone.” Paul began slowly, “I cannot express in words how terrible this day is, having to bury one of our own. Ferdinand was a great man and a great king who did his best to protect his kingdom and his subjects. Though I cannot speak for Percival or even Gervasius, I can say for myself that my heart has been crushed by this turn of events. Yet we must be strong!” Paul lifted a fist, “Scorxus is still at war with the invaders and if it falls, then so will Phonicamy, Deecadia, and even Spidantia! Our kingdoms are tied together in many, many ways and if one falls, we all do. We cannot let Ferdinand's sacrifice be in vain! Do you all hear me?!” He was met with enthused cheers of the crowd, who had gotten pumped up by his speech. He smiled at their brave faces._

_“However, we cannot consider this as our vengeance.” he continued, “Ferdinand would not have wanted it that way. We are only to drive them out and that is all! And, though I do not wish to go on to this, there is also the problem of who will be the next Scorxus king. Ferdinand had no heirs, so his crown will be given to Gervasius for the time being. It may be stressful on him to run two kingdoms at once, as well as having the shock of Ferdinand's death, so please be easy with him. He cannot be here to speak, but I can say Gervasius cared greatly for Ferdinand, as did I and Percival, but he cared the most. They were the greatest of friends and it was because of this friendship that Ferdinand decided to only send his own warriors to fight the invaders. Scorxus fought on its own because Ferdinand did not want any of our people to be hurt, yet we did what we could by sending him supplies and such. And I do not mean to say his name in vain when I speak this, but now that he is gone, Spidantia, Deecadia, and Phonicamy are now free to help the ragged warriors of Scorxus! Let us celebrate his life by defeating the invaders!” Another cheer rose up from the crowd that caused Paul to smile before he went on to one more thing._

_“Another terrible thing I must address is Axal's disappearance. He and Ferdinand were separated in the battle that eventually cost Ferdinand his life, and though no one knows if he is alive or not, I am sure Axal is still out on the battlefield, fighting to avenge his partner. He cared much for Ferdinand and Ferdinand cared much for him. I cannot express in words how much our animal friends mean to us or how much we mean to them, but I can say this: We would all protect each other and avenge one another. Tollin would avenge me if I died in battle and I would avenge him if he died, as would Romulus to Gervasius and Solis to Percival. This funeral was not organized only to celebrate Ferdinand, but to celebrate Axal as well if the Great Scorpion does not survive and to celebrate how he fights on for his partner.” Paul nodded to him and Percival took that as his cue._

_He gave a low whistle that ascended into a very sharp, high note and threw Solis into the air. The phoenix took flight, as well as the other phoenixes, and they lit themselves on fire as they flew into formation. They formed the image of the Scorxus crest, a large scorpion with seven legs, as a banner made of the web of the Spidantia spiders was laid over Ferdinand's coffin. The banner was dyed blue and red with the crest also stitched into it and would be burned by the phoenixes later, to show Ferdinand's death as a transition into a new life, whatever that may be. And when Percival looked up again, there was no sign of the man in black in the Tapestry Hall._

* * *

Pete was still for a moment as he tried to take everything in once the memory was over. Gervasius hadn't said a word throughout the memory, despite seeming to be quite talkative in all the times Pete had met him, and the king had left right after the phoenixes got into formation. Though no one had said how long it took Percival and Paul to find out about what Gervasius was doing, Pete wondered. Before the funeral, he and his friends had seen how cracked the mad king was in two memories before Ferdinand's death: Montresor's death and the arrangement of Gervasius' parents' death. Pete wondered how crazy Ferdinand's death made Gervasius, if what was left of the king was anything to go by.

Pete came back to reality when Solis began squawking and banging against the side of her cage. He went over to ask what was wrong when the main doors to the Hall of History opened.

 _ **“** **Well well well, look at what we have here.”**_ The overlaying voices were a dead giveaway, which made Pete's blood grow cold. He grabbed Solis cage and held the Phoenix close to his chest as the ghost-possessed man entered.

“Patrick...” Pete realized that the only way Gervasius could be in control of Gerard's body was because the necklace was gone and something had happened to Patrick. This caused him to grow very angry, “What did you do to Patrick?!”

 _ **“** **Patrick? Oh, you mean Percival.”**_ Gervasius chuckled, face twitching as if trying to keep in his emotions, **_“He burned my body to death, so I am giving him some cold irony! I just wish that we were in the ballroom right now so that I might give you some poetic justice.”_**

“Why? We haven't done anything to you!”

 _ **“** **That is what**_ **you** ** _think!”_** The tapestries flapped as a cold wind blew through the hall through the open windows. _**“Percival may have killed me and taken Erik away, but you were the worst! Even I would not have done such evil things to our people!”**_

“I'm not Paul and Patrick isn't Percival! None of us are the reborn forms of your old friends! Why don't you get that?!”

 _ **“** **Oh, I know that very well. However, I do not believe it was a coincidence that you share so many similarities to each of us. There is some connection between us all and I am going to sever it by ending all your lives!”**_ The doors gave resounding clicks as they were locked and Gervasius grinned widely, which showed off Gerard's small teeth. Solis screeched again and lit herself on fire, causing Pete to drop her cage so he wouldn't get burned. The cloth that had been on the cage before had been fire retardant and had blocked any air getting into her flames, but now that it was gone, she was easily able to heat the metal bars of her cage to the point where they could be bent, and she pushed through until she was free. She hadn't realized she could have done that and freed herself before, but not that she was free, she attacked the ghost-possessed man with a vengeance. Gervasius' eyes widened and he held up his arms to block her.

“Solis, stop!” Pete would have loved to see Gervasius clawed to death, but not Gerard. The phoenix left long gashes on the MCR singer's arms, causing the man to hiss in pain. It seemed the phoenix wasn't going to let up, so Pete knew he had to do something. Said something was stupid and would probably get his hands burned off, but he had to try. Gervasius deserved all the pain that was coming to him, Gerard did not. So, Pete reached forward and grabbed the flaming bird away from the other man and held her close so she wouldn't get away again. At first there was the expected pain of grabbing a bird that was _on fire_ , but then it was just a throb as Solis extinguished herself, though she was still struggling to give Gervasius some what-for.

 _ **“** **Damn you.”**_ hissed the mad king, holding his cuts, **_“You are a foul beast, Solis. I was glad when Paul sealed you away.”_** Solis gave an angry screech in reply.

“Just let us go, Gervasius.” Pete said, his fingertips throbbing from the burns they probably had, “You can't win.”

 _ **“** **Not until Ferdinand is MINE!”**_ roared the king, then calmed enough to say, **_“I do know that I cannot fight you at the moment, however.”_** There were clicks, indicating that Gervasius had unlocked the doors, _**“This is not over.”**_

“I can promise you that we'll get out of here somehow and save Gerard from you.” Pete said, “And you had better hope that Patrick isn't dead, otherwise I'll find someway to touch you in your ghost form and I'll kill you with no mercy!”

 _ **“** **As you wish.”**_ Gervasius watched as Pete retrieved the fallen Unknown Kingdom sword as well as the sheath from the glass case before leaving through one of the doors at the end of the hall. Gervasius had not wanted to let the traitor leave, but he knew that he was no match against Solis. He chuckled, though, because Pete hadn't given a thought to why Gervasius had come to the Hall of History in the first place.

 _ **“** **Fool.”**_ he purred as he walked over to the crowns, **_“Once I have my crown, they will not be able to throw me out of Gerard's body because_ he _will be the spirit then!”_**

* * *

Frank was already looking around by the time the others caught up to him, where he was checking the walls for any loose bricks or something that would indicate a secret passage or compartment of some sort. Mikey didn't think there was anything left to check, so he stayed at the entrance, leaving the others to choose whose side they were on.

“Seems like it's our call for once.” Ray muttered as the four had gathered into a small huddle, “I'm not sure who I want to side with on this.”

“I'm skeptical that there's anything in here besides all these torture devices.” Joe said, “So I guess I'm on Mikey's side.”

“It really doesn't look like there's anything else in here.” Bob agreed, “But we've also got to take into account the Trap Master and Gervasius' craziness. I mean, he said he lived with the guy, so some of Trap Master's skills must have rubbed off on him. There was a hidden closet of poisons in the library that we didn't know about, so who's to say Frank's wrong?”

“I agree with that.” Andy nodded, “Especially since there was something about that pit that really stood out. There are torture devices all over the room and cages with animals that could have been used to torture people, but then there's this big pit in the middle of the room for seemingly no reason at all. It's weird and I want to know why.”

“Good thing I brought some of that rope with us.” Ray had come prepared, pulling out the rope from the depths of his coat (because it was surprisingly freezing down here). He had taken it from one of their traps in the courtyard and, as it was too long to fit in his pockets and he didn't bring a backpack with him, he had coiled it around himself under the coat in case of emergencies.

“You always put everything in your 'fro. Why not store it there?” Bob was smiling as Ray rolled his eyes.

“I don't put _everything_ in my 'fro, dude. Seriously. It's not like I've got a storage space up there.”

“Uh huh...”

“Knock it off.” Andy said, taking the rope from Ray before calling to Frank, “I think I know where we could find the ghosts!”

“You do?” Frank hopped over excitedly, “Where is it?”

“Somewhere in the pit, I think.” Andy gestured to the giant hole, “I wouldn't ask you to go down there first if I had a choice, but since you're the smallest in the group.”

“Gotcha.” Frank took one ed of the rope and tied it around his chest easily. Ray double-checked before giving a thumbs up while Joe, who had been given the torch, handed it to Frank.

“The guys and I will lower you down and since we can't see what's down there, be careful.” Andy and Bob gripped the rope tightly with Ray and Joe just behind them, ready to grab the rope themselves if something happened. Mikey watched, stonefaced, as Frank freaked the rest of them out with a running start before jumping into the hole. The small guitarist went down several feet before the rope went taunt and his feet landed on the side of the pit. Lucky for them, the torch didn't go out after that adventure.

“Why the fuck did you do that?! You could have been killed!” Andy berated him.

“Dude, I was pretty sure you guys and the rope would catch me. Besides, if the cuckoo king gets his hands on me, there's a 50-50 chance he'll kill me despite what we think. Now come on, start giving the rope some slack!”

“Is he always like this?” Joe asked Ray as the four men complied.

“As energetic as a parakeet with no regard for his own safety? _Yes_. He just had a stroke of common sense in the library, I think. Either that or...” Ray trailed off slowly before shaking his head, “No, nevermind.”

“'Nevermind' what? Dude, tell me what you were gonna say!”

“Well,” Ray gave a small glance to Mikey before continuing in a low tone, “I think the reason he didn't want to try going up there was because of Gerard. Just like how you guys have Petetrick, we've got Frerard.”

“I see...” Joe shook his head, “Why don't they just hook up already?”

“For one thing, they're married to other people and have sweet children. For another... Things changed.” Ray shrugged, “I don't know what happened with your guys, but for us, Gee and Frank haven't been the same since 2007, maybe even 2006.”

“You mean Gerard's marriage to Lyn-Z?”

“Not just that. You heard of the Paramour?”

“From what Pete heard from Mikey, yeah. It was a horrible place, wasn't it?”

“Definitely.” Ray shivered, “We all went through hard times while in that place, and I think that's what started the whole rift between Gee and Frank.”

“Maybe.” Joe wasn't sure what to add when Frank suddenly spoke up.

“Hey!” he hollered from the bottom, where the light of the torch was quite a bit smaller than before, “There's a door down here!”

“Where do you think it leads?” Bob called back, then said to Andy, “How far down do you think he is?”

“Don't know.” the FOB drummer shook his head as Frank responded.

“I got it open!” The creak of the door opening echoed back up to them, but there was also something that sounded like a snap. The rope went taunt and the men above knew that something had happened to the rope.

“Frank? Can you still hear us?” Ray and Joe were now at the end and looking down.

“Yeah, why?”

“Houston, we have a problem.”

* * *

Frank hadn't noticed before, but now that he looked back, he realized about half of the rope was curled behind him, having snapped and fallen. The bottom was a bit wet with mold growing in places, but there were human skeletons down here and Frank was pretty sure the pit had once been some sort of well where Gervasius drowned prisoners. However, there was a trapdoor with a cross carved into it built into the bottom of the pit which seemed to be newer than the rest of what was around it, but not in a modern way. It was nowhere near as modern as the renovations (still being at least half-a-millennium old), but was definitely newer than the pit, which seemed to be as old as the castle itself. There was also a small piece of rope wrapped around the handle, but Frank thought nothing of it as he opened the old door, revealing a cabinet-sized space as well as two small bluish lights.

 _“Frank!”_ one of the lights did a few small jumps, _“You have come to save us!”_

“Montresor?”

_“Yes, but I am not alone. This is-”_

“Frank? Can you hear us?” called Ray. Frank looked up and responded.

“Yeah, why?”

“Houston, we have a problem.” Frank was confused until he saw the snapped rope.

“Fuck!” he hissed, pulling the rope toward him so he could examine the end to see why it snapped.

 _“I am sorry about that. Percival said that there was a trap in the walls of the pit that would activate when someone opened this door.”_ Montresor's words were confirmed when Frank saw the end had been cut, _“Percival also says half the pit will be flooded soon if you do not get out of here.”_

“I was about to ask if this could get any worse, but I guess that answers my question.” Frank reached into the hole and grabbed the two lights, stuffing them into his shirt. He was surprised that he could touch the two, as he knew at least one was a ghost, but ignored it for now as he called up to the others.

“Guys, see if you can send the rest of the rope down! I don't like this!”

“Alright!” Frank waited for the sight of the rest of the rope as he started hearing the sounds of running water. He looked around for it and saw water pouring out of cracks in the floor, filling up the trapdoor space quickly before covering the bottom of the pit. That was when Frank realized that this hadn't been a well once, it was some sort of drowning chamber and he had fallen into its trap. That also explained the animal cages, as Gervasius could just throw the animals down here if he wasn't feeling generous.

“There! That's it!” Frank cursed bitterly as he saw the rope still several feet above him. Despite how high he could jump, he didn't think he could reach and the water was now pooling over his feet, freezing him with the cold.

“You sure you can't send it down any more?!” he asked. Of course, he could just let the pit fill up with water to help him float up to the rope, but he didn't want to chance it since it was very possible it could give him pneumonia or something and they certainly didn't need that right now.

“This is as much as we can give you unless you want one of us hanging over the side! Can't you reach it?”

“Just give me a few more feet and I might be able to jump!” Frank glanced at the torch he held and knew he wouldn't be able to jump with one hand. Once the rope was close enough, he would have to let go of the torch and hope he got it right. It was his one chance to get out of here without freezing to death and he only got one attempt to do it. If he got it wrong, he would hit the wall and be lucky enough he didn't get knocked out. He held himself as shivers wracked his body, looking down at his cold and water-covered legs. The water was coming in fast, almost to his knees now.

“Can you reach it now?” Frank looked up to see that the rope had gained several feet, enough for it to be in his jumping range. It was now or never. And would be hard with the water slowing his movement, but it was his only choice right now. Memorizing where the rope was and untying himself so he wouldn't be weighed down, he bent his legs, shivering as the water enveloped him up to his chest, then jumped. He managed to grab the rope with both hands and hung on, wincing as his palms dug into the rope. He supposed he might have rope burn later, but the point was he was about to get out of this freezing prison. As the rope was being brought up again, it was hard to see in the pit except from the twin lights the ghosts gave off from under his shirt.

 _“Percival says that this is not the end to the trap.”_ Montresor said, _“There is still one more obstacle.”_

“And what the hell could that be?” Frank murmured angrily. He got his answer as his arms nearly got stuck in a square of metal, preventing him from going any farther. Adjusting himself so he could grab the rope with one hand, he touched the rusty metal and realized it was a grate. His panicked cursing could be heard clearly from above.

“What's wrong?”

“There's a fucking grate suddenly covering the pit! Not to mention the pit is _flooding_!”

“If the grate's rusty, maybe we can break it!”

“Hang on!” Frank knew this was going to be a rough ride, so he held onto the rope tightly and covered his head the best he could with his hands. The rope jerked as his body was banged against the grate and creaks could be heard, indicating it wouldn't last, until it finally snapped and tumbled downward into the oncoming water with a _sploosh_.

“I hate Gervasius right now.” Frank said through chattering teeth as he was finally brought back up to the top again.

“You and us both.” Mikey was there, helping to pull him up and back onto the floor of the torture chamber. Joe and Ray kindly offered their coats for him to wear, which Frank took gladly after stripping off his own half-wet one.

“And before I forget,” Frank took out the two balls of light, “look who I found.”

_“Hello, friends!”_

“Montresor? Where's your body?” The living men gazed at the balls of light in wonder and confusion.

 _“I am too weak to conjure it now, but I am not the one you should be worried about! Percival has been stuck down here for a long time and must get above ground to regain his energy.”_ One ball of light was hopping circles around another, so they guessed the energetic one was Montresor and the other was Percival.

“And I want to get out of here before I freeze to death.” Frank said, “How is the basement so cold compared to the warmth of the castle?!”

“Your guess is as good as mine.” The others shrugged.

“But I didn't think Percival was a ghost. I thought he'd passed on, since you and Gervasius seemed to be the only ghosts around.” Ray said as they began going back down the hallway, careful of where they stepped since their new light source was the soft light from the two ghosts.

_“So did I, but apparently as soon as he was dead, Gervasius took Percival's soul from his body and locked him in the compartment down there. Romulus put me there as well after capturing me.”_

“But there was a cross on the door, so how could that spider open it?” asked Frank, shivering at both the cold and the mention of the giant spider.

 _“There was a rope attached to it that Romulus used. It was broken a short while ago.”_ This caused the living men to look at each other as best they could in the darkness.

“Do you think we might have burned it down by accident when we lit up the room?” questioned Andy.

“Who knows.” Bob shrugged, “At least we've got some ghosts on our side again.” They trudged up the circular steps back into the cell and then to the hallway, where they went to the kitchen to rest. They stopped dead when they saw no one there. No Pete, no Patrick, no Gerard. And this was a _very_ bad sign indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I have never been to a funeral (and I hope I won't ever have to be at one), so sorry if the speech isn't right. I wanted to create a rousing speech that would help to cover a few things the citizens of the kingdoms would like to know.
> 
> 2\. Deecadia is the real name of the Unknown Kingdom. As the story goes on, more will be explained about why Paul tried to cover his own kingdom but didn't do the same for the other three.
> 
> 3\. The title is a line from the MCR song Helena.
> 
> I'm surprised that this chapter is the longest one for the story so far, but I hope you guys like it! And if I make any mistakes, please tell me so I can fix them. See you Killjoys and Youngbloods later!


	15. Mama, We All Go To Hell

“Damnit!” Mikey ran his hands through his hair, nearly knocking off his glasses, “We should have never left them alone!”

“I hope none of them are dead.” Ray murmured.

“Don't say that!” Joe growled.

“Achoo!” Frank sneezed, then sniffed, “As much as I'm worried about Gee and the others, I really hope I'm not getting sick right now...”

 _“I feel another presence in the room.”_ Montresor spoke, _“It is quite weak and getting weaker by the second, but there is most certainly someone else in here with us. I wonder if it is another ghost... Oh, and Pete is approaching! It seems he has found Solis as well!”_ It was at that moment Pete appeared at the other end of the hall at a run, Solis still in his hands, as the young ghost had predicted. When he saw the others, he was so surprised to see them to the point that he accidentally let go of the phoenix. Solis flew up and huffed at him, but didn't fly away. She flew into the kitchen and perched on the table, grooming herself. Ash fluttered down between her feathers as she did so, probably from when the feathers had been on fire.

“Guys!” Pete ran up to them, “We've got to find Patrick!”

“And where the hell have _you_ been?” Mikey asked, angry at him for scaring them so badly.

“I'll tell you later.” Pete waved him off and passed the group to get into the kitchen, “Gervasius found me and I was lucky to escape, but that crazy bastard told me Patrick was alive. At least, I think so.”

“Then do you know where he is?” asked Andy.

“Not really.” Pete shook his head as he moved over to the sink, “Gervasius said he was giving him some 'cold irony,' so I came back here to see if I could find out where he could have taken Patrick. Any clues would help.” The bassist turned the water on and let the cold literally wash over his burnt fingers, the tips having turned a vicious pink. There was no way he was going to be playing bass for a while, that was for sure. Solis gave a soft trill in Pete's direction.

 _“She says she is sorry for that.”_ Montresor translated, _“I assume you tried to grab her while she was on fire?”_

“Well, yeah.” Pete shrugged, “She would've clawed Gerard's eyes out if I didn't. Gervasius deserves all that's coming to him, Gerard doesn't.”

“Thanks.” Mikey said, causing the other dyed blond bassist to smile.

“No problem.”

“Wait.” Bob held up a hand for quiet, “Do you hear that?” No one spoke and Pete turned off the water, trying to hear what Bob was hearing. Softly, from above, they could hear some sort of melody. Looking up, they saw a vent built into the ceiling. The melody quieted down for a second, but then another one came up, this one with lyrics they could hear.

“ _I've got troubled thoughts and the self-esteem to match..._ ”

“That's Patrick's voice!” Any of the FOB bandmates would have recognized that singing anywhere.

“Then where's it coming from?” Frank wondered.

“'Cold irony'... Gervasius must have meant the freezer!” Ray was the first to figure it out, “Percival burned his body to death, so the irony would be freezing to death!” The group rushed over to the freezer door and tried to open it, but it was stuck tight.

“How can you even lock a freezer?!” growled Joe as they stepped away to figure out a better angle on how to open it.

“You can lock one if it's electronic, like this one is.” Bob pointed to the keypad he had just noticed.

“But the power's out. How did it even lock back?” Andy asked.

“If a ghost can lock a regular door or pass through walls, then I have no doubt he can manipulate electricity, too.” Mikey said, “Let''s just figure out the number before we lose Patrick.”

* * *

He was struggling to keep awake, knowing that if he slept he would die. The chills had stopped a while ago and everything felt cold, especially his fingers, toes, ears, and nose (no rhyme intended). Confusion had also set in, causing him to wonder how he had gotten in here in the first place. However, he kept singing. He had forgotten why he was singing in the first place, but he knew he was doing it to help somehow. But it was so cold and he wanted to go to sleep. Just one little nap couldn't hurt...

“ _They say the captain...goes down with the ship. So when...the world ends..._ ” Patrick's eyes were closing despite his attempts to keep them open, “ _Will God...go...down...with...it..?_ ”

* * *

The singing had stopped, flinging the men into a panic. They were _so close_ , yet they still couldn't get to Patrick and he could be dying at that moment! Solis, who had been watching them, could see that they needed help. She flew up, lit herself on fire, and busted through the vent cover. She flew through the vent and into the freezer, where she used a burst of flame to heat up the room and blow the door open. She landed on the floor and hopped into Patrick's lap, cuddling up to his chest and trying to warm him up. She knew he wasn't her old master, but it hurt a bit to see someone like this. The men rushed in once the door was gone and Pete touched Patrick before jerking his hand back as if he had gotten a static shock.

“He's as cold as ice!” Pete said, then reached out again to try and bring Patrick into his arms so he could warm up the singer. He knew heat was the key to making sure Patrick survived, but heating him up in the middle of a freezer wasn't going to work out too well, even if the freezer didn't work anymore thanks to Solis.

“We need to get him to a warmer place.” Everything seemed to go by in a blur for Pete after that. Someone takes Patrick away from him (one of the drummers, maybe) and then they're running to the library with the warm, warm fireplace that's still burning. Jackets and covers get piled on the freezing young man and someone goes to get a hot water bottle. Pete contemplates taking off his clothes and cuddling up to Patrick to help his best friend warm up, but isn't sure. Instead, he does his best to warm up Patrick's extremities, the whole nose-ears-toes-fingers thing, and he sees Andy and Joe doing the same. Solis was still nestled against the singer's chest, as if helping them try to warm Patrick up, her head tilted so the side of it was hearing his heartbeat.

“He's so cold...” Pete murmured, “Is he gonna be alright?”

“I don't know, but he looked like he had just nodded off when we got to him.” Mikey tried to assure the rest of FOB, “We may have gotten there just in time.” Mikey gave the bassist a look that said, 'There's more I want to say but not in front of them,' and Pete was fine with that. He would listen to what the younger Way would have to say once Patrick was okay, no sooner (he also didn't mean to rhyme because this seriously wasn't the time).

“Yeah, well, if he gets any colder, we might not be able to help.” Bob said as Ray returned with two filled hot water bottles.

“Here.” he gave them to FOB, “Put 'em wherever he feels the coldest.” The others nodded and got to work, knowing that only having two would force them to think creatively to get all the points. They used one to cover Patrick's feet lengthwise and the other they held against parts of Patrick's face, switching it every-so-often so it wouldn't burn the vocalist. They used their own hands to warm Patrick's and MCR helped FOB out, even though they were worried about their own lead singer.

 _“If you would like, Percival asks to help.”_ Montresor commented after a few minutes.

“What help would he be?” Pete asked lowly, “Neither of you can even summon a picture of your bodies right now, so what the hell could he possibly do?”

“Easy.” Frank growled, “There's no reason for you to get snappy at him.”

“Then maybe I should be mad at you instead!” Pete stood up from his crouch by Patrick, glaring at the younger man, “If it hadn't been for you trying to find them, then 'Trick wouldn't be like this!”

“Pete-” Andy knew a fight was coming on and he had to do something.

“No! You stay out of this!” Pete was shouting now, his emotions out of control, “If we hadn't fucking separated, 'Trick would be okay! And none of this crazy stuff would even be _happening_ if you guys hadn't come here!” He pointed at MCR, mostly in Mikey's direction. The other bassist frowned and clenched his fists, as if trying to keep his anger in check.

“Do you think we like this any more than you do?” Mikey's voice was low and quiet but there was power behind it, enough to carry over the crackling of the fire and more, “My brother is in this castle somewhere and he's already tried to kill himself once after what Gervasius is making him go through. And if we had known this place was haunted, we wouldn't have come here at all. The only reason we stayed after we learned the truth was because, even after what happened at the Paramour, we decided to give this place a chance. And then we couldn't leave because that insane ghost king is keeping us here and is tearing us apart!” Mikey's voice had raised at the end, causing Pete and everyone else to back off, “What happens if we don't make it out of here?! Most of us will be dead, but then there's Gervasius controlling Gerard and he's going to be keeping Frank here! Gervasius can't leave the castle and he'll probably control Gerard until he dies! And then there's the problem of food and water! If Gervasius keeps this place locked and the food and water run out, both Frank and Gerard will die! And if Frank dies, who knows what Gervasius will do to the next people who come across here!” Mikey was panting by the time his rant was winding down, “He's been playing games with us this whole time and he's going to keep it up until he either gets what he wants or we gain the advantage. This whole time we've been on the defensive, even though we think we haven't, and he knows it. He would happily drive us all mad if it meant we died and he got Frank all to himself. All he wants is his own twisted happy ending and he's willing to do whatever it takes to get it. Even if it means he has to bring us down with him, and right now, we're doing just that.” Mikey was standing alone as he finished, glaring at Pete, “So listen to me because we all need to calm down, help Patrick, and save Gerard before this gets any worse. Or are you going to stay angry about this whole thing and do nothing?”

“...That was a low blow.” Pete muttered quietly, having taken the verbal lashing with his pride barely intact, “Gervasius did this to Patrick, so I'm not going to drop out of this.”

“Good.” Mikey softened, gave a nod, and gently sat down beside where they had lain Patrick on one of the wooden benches (there were no couches) He took off his glasses and began cleaning them as he said, “Sorry I got so mad.”

“No, I should be the sorry one.” Pete shook his head, running a hand through his dyed blond hair, “I left Patrick alone for too long because I got caught up in the idea that we could restore power to this place and get the jump on Gervasius. I was gone for an hour, and I let him down. He never let me down, though, so look at what a good friend I am.”

“It's not your fault.” Joe said, “You were just trying to do the right thing.”

“He's right.” Andy agreed, “Don't beat yourself up about it. After all, you still got us an ally.” He nodded towards Solis, who hadn't moved from Patrick's chest, even during Mikey's angry rant.

“Thanks, guys.” Pete gave them a smile, “And I also managed to wear down the Spidantia sword when I was trying to free Solis from the cage she was trapped in, so that's one sword Gervasius won't be able to use.”

“Then what sword are you wearing around your waist?” Frank pointed it out, as the black sheath hung off of Pete.

“This is the Unknown Kingdom sword.”

 _“You mean the sword of Deecadia.”_ Montresor spoke up. The living men turned to him and saw that he was now alone, but had his form back. He was sitting above the fireplace, on the mantel, and seeing him again lifted their spirits.

“Yeah, I think it showed me an old memory when I picked it up and that was mentioned in the memory.” Pete rested a hand on the hilt of the sword with obsidian stones, “Why is there so much known about the other kingdoms but not Deecadia? Why is my past self just...gone?”

 _“He did not want anyone to know what he had done.”_ Montresor said, _“Unlike Gervasius, I am not mad at him, but I do believe what he did was not the best decision he could have made. He was not as good of a strategist as Gervasius or Ferdinand, but he was good enough. However, Percival's death had left him devastated, so that is why I believe he took such drastic measures.”_

“But what did he do?” asked Ray.

 _“He erased his kingdom's own history and broke up the four kingdoms, forcing everything to fall apart. He then left by himself, leaving everyone, even Erik, behind. Our kingdoms, we had been together for so long that if one was in peril, it affected all of us. And tearing it all apart like he did...”_ Montresor shook his head, _“He punched wounds into the kingdoms and left them for dead is what he did. Our people were in shambles when the Russians came for us. We could not defend ourselves because there was no one to lead us, though we had tried to bring in new rulers. No one wanted to lead in the places of the kings, and we suffered. The Russians were merciless to us and attacked us as if we were easy prey. I saw what they did to us and, though I try not to blame Paul, I believe what he did caused so many to suffer.”_ Montresor crossed his legs to keep them from swinging, _“I cannot forget what he did to us, but if he gave a good enough reason, I believe I might be able to forgive him. My brother, however, will always be on the warpath against Paul and anyone else who enters the castle. That is the reason why he wants to kill you.”_ Montresor gave them sad looks, _“He has made it his mission to end all intruders who enter here, or at least make them leave. He wishes to end most of you only because of association. After all,”_ Montresor gestured, _“three of you look like Percival, Paul, and myself, so because you are friends with them, he wishes you dead. The only one he does not want to hurt is, of course, Frank, and even that is doubtful.”_

“Why?” Frank asked, now feeling uneasy, “Is there something he's done to make you question his motives?”

 _“A little, yes. He is dead, but you are alive. He wants to be with you again in any way possible, so I have three theories.”_ Montresor stuck up three fingers and pointed to each in turn, _“He will make Gerard his puppet and live you with in the castle for the rest of your life until you die, where he will then steal your soul like he did to Percival and force you to live in the afterlife with him. Two, he will kill you and force the afterlife anyway. Three...”_ Montresor looked pained at this, _“He will switch places with Gerard.”_

“Switch places?” the men shared looks, “But I thought ghosts can't leave the castle.”

_“We cannot, but I believe that the crowns of the kingdoms are enchanted. They have always given off a strange sort of feeling to me, so I believe that they have special powers. And if one of those powers is of forcing Gerard to be a spirit while Gervasius takes his body for himself, then I would not be surprised.”_

“Oh god.” Pete looked pale, “That's why he was in there, why he let me go so easily! He was after his crown!”

“Do you think there's a way to reverse it if that happens?” Mikey asked.

 _“Perhaps, but I do not quite know.”_ Montresor shrugged, _“And I believe your friend is waking.”_ This made everyone look to Patrick, who was finally starting to stir as shivers wracked his body.

“Shivers are a good sign, right?”

“He wasn't shivering before because he was so could, so I'll say that's a yes.”

“He's going to be okay, thank god.” The guys continued to mutter as Patrick finally opened his eyes, looking around and he took his hands away from his friends and stuffed them under his arms, where they could be a little warmer. But there seemed to be a strange tint to his eyes, as if they were glowing slightly. And when he began to speak, they knew what had happened.

 _ **“** **Hello.”**_ he greeted as he sat up, Solis jumping onto the table so he could move, **_“I am Percival, and I am most terribly sorry for inhabiting your friend at this time. However, it was to make sure he would be alright, so please do not be angry with me.”_** There was the same stereo thing that they could hear when Gervasius was talking, but Percival sounded so much like a kind gentleman that they didn't see how they could be mad at him (despite the fact he was in control of their friend's body). That was added to the fact of Patrick's looks, and who could ever be angry at a guy like that?

 _“Your English is doing very well!”_ Montresor congratulated him, _“You catch on quickly!”_

 _ **“** **Well, seeing as I would have to talk with living people who do not know a word of Old East Slavic, I knew I had to learn quickly.”**_ Percival smiled at the other ghost then turned to Solis. He raised a hand and the phoenix eagerly went to rub her head against his palm. She made a sort of purring sound as her feathers gently glowed golden, lighting the room up more than the fire in the fireplace did.

 _ **“** **I see you are well.”**_ he brought her into his arms, **_“I have missed you, Solis.”_** She gave a caw in reply, purring more as she glowed brighter. Pete was slightly jealous of the way Percival was handling the bird who had burned his fingers and nearly clawed Gerard's arms off (though that part might be a bit of an exaggeration), yet he was fascinated at how much the ghost king seemed to be like Patrick.

“How long will you be in control?” he asked quietly, as if trying not to break the mood. Percival turned to him and sighed.

_**“** **I am sorry, but I do not know. I was down there for a very long time and I am still quite weak. Until I am strong enough to leave, I will be in control of your friend. I would not do it if I could, but I have no choice.”** _

“That's...okay.” Joe said slowly, “But can you, maybe, switch out with him? Like, you could still be in his body, but he's the one in control?”

_**“** **Hm... Perhaps I will try that later, once your friend is strong again.”** _

“If Gervasius learns that you're alive, though, you won't live long enough to find out.” Andy said, “And by the way, there's something I want to ask you. Are you the Trap Master?”

 _ **“** **Yes.”**_ Percival nodded, **_“I am most terribly sorry if you have had to experience one of them, though I can see you have survived.”_** He nodded to the wall where the poisons were still revealed.

“Why did Gervasius trap you down there? Why didn't he just let you go?” asked Bob.

_**“** **He wanted to leave me in eternal torture. I could not leave that space he had trapped me in, so I could not pass on.”** _

“Then why don't you pass on now?”

_**“** **I want to help you stop Gervasius once and for all. He ended my life once, but I will not allow him to end any of yours.”** _

“Then were you the one who messaged us through that scroll?” Frank asked. Joe took it out and handed it to Percival.

_**“** **No, I was not the one who liked to hide things. That was always Paul. Why do you ask?”** _

“We found that behind the block that came out of the wall when we tried to climb it.” Joe explained, “So it's probably Paul's?”

 _ **“** **Most likely.”**_ Percival nodded before opening it up. Their sight fogged up again and they knew they had unleashed another memory, possibly the one from before, when they had first opened the scroll. However, that was not what they saw next.

* * *

_It was dark in the Blue Room, where Gervasius sat in one of the plush chairs. Ferdinand had a penchant for reading, as all of his walls were made of shelves to hold scrolls. The younger king used to read continuously when not preforming his duties or doing something else that required him. Emphasis on 'used to.' Gervasius was here to mourn his love, as it was his last night in the castle before he had to ride out to the farthest reaches of Scorxus with Romulus and his men once again so that he might fight the invaders. He could not stay away a day more, otherwise it may be too costly for Scorxus. Already they had lost many warriors to the invading force and could spare no more, not unless they wished to go into morally ambiguous territory, and Gervasius couldn't do that to his lover's kingdom._

_“Come in.” he spoke when there came a knock to the door. In came a man in red robes with blue highlights, a Spidantia priest. Wrapped around his forehead was a band of white, indicating him to be a high priest, and the blue feather he wore on a string around his neck showed Gervasius that it was High Priest Angelicus. Angelicus was fairly young with long black hair (longer than Gervasius' own) tied back in a way similar to a horse's tail and icy blue eyes._

_“Yes, Angelicus?” asked the older king, his voice tired and wanting the other to go away. The priest gave a bow before speaking._

_“My king, I have some news for you.”_

_“Is it about the war?” Gervasius asked. It was always about the war, now that his lover was gone._

_“No, sire.” Angelicus closed the door behind him and went to Gervasius' side, “I have news that I must tell you, but it is very sensitive. No one else must know about it.”_

_“And, may I ask, why are you coming to me about this?” Gervasius knew that the priests held as much power as the kings did, so why was Angelicus talking to him about this secret information?_

_“Because it involves King Ferdinand.” Angelicus paused as he expected the older king to whip out his sword, which he did. Gervasius had the swordpoint against the priest's throat, resting it against the skin as if ready to run the blade through the man's head. Angelicus had a history with Gervasius in this matter and knew what the king's reaction would be and knew how to prepare for it. Only he received this treatment, but he could not tell any others because then Gervasius would be put to death and there was no one in line for the Spidantia throne. There would have been, if Montresor was still alive, and it had always been that way until the young prince had died. There had always been two princes for the Spidantia throne and one would become king with another as backup in case the other suddenly died, so Montresor's death had made it imperative that Gervasius be protected at all costs. However, it should have been the other way around, as assassins would usually be the ones dying by his hands._

_“Go on.” said Gervasius slowly, taking the sword away slightly so Angelicus could speak._

_“I have a friend who has told me that Ferdinand went against the church several winters ago, shortly before the war started.” the young priest said, trying to keep his voice steady, “He had an affair with a woman known as Jiera and I was told they now have a son. Perhaps Ferdinand was planning to announce their engagement afterword, once the war was over, but with him dead, the child is the illegitimate heir to the Scorxus throne.”_

_“Angelicus.” Gervasius stood up and kept the sword on the other man's throat, speaking slowly, “Where do they live?”_

_“In the Scorxus town of Rievusca.” Angelicus knew of the love Gervasius had for Ferdinand, he had been one of the very few to see the signs and knew that the king opposite him was going to Hell just for that love alone, but he still would like to live another day._

_“Thank you.” Gervasius went behind Angelicus and kept the blade against the priest's throat, “I will stop there on my way to defeat Ferdinand's killers. And make sure his name does not go to Hell, otherwise I will make sure you will join your parents.” Gervasius then stepped away and slid his sword back into its sheath, letting the priest go. Angelicus resisted the urge to flee in terror of the other king, as his parents were dead and the comment reminded him of how close to death he was at the moment, and he nearly flinched when Gervasius ran a hand across his cheek._

_“Perhaps if Ferdinand was not my one true love, we could have had something.” the king gave a devilish smile, “I, the mad king, in love with my high priest. How sacrilegious that would be. Yet I would make sure you would not talk, because I would always give you a good time. Besides,” Gervasius stepped away slightly, “You preach that homosexuality is wrong, but I see you commit it.” Angelicus stiffened, causing the king to laugh._

_“Oh, I_ know _what you are doing. I am not as dense as you think I am, child, but thank you for enlightening me. Now leave.” Angelicus flew out of the room and panted as he came to a stop once he was far enough away from the Scorxus wing and the insane king. He was about to begin walking again when his name was called._

_“Angel.” Only one person used that shortening of his name. He turned his head to see a slightly shorter person come out of the shadows, dressed all in black. The man also had long black hair in a horse's tail but had brown eyes instead of blue, like Angelicus' own. He wore the thin, lightweight, dark-colored clothing of a thief or assassin and made no sound as he walked forward into the moonlight of a nearby window._

_“Raphael.” spoke the priest, glad to see his old friend (whom he was in love with but would never admit to openly because that would be against the teachings of the church and he would go to Hell, but he was going to Hell eventually because God knew everything, so who cares?), “Why are you here?”_

_“To see you.” The assassin came closer and tugged down the scarf that covered his mouth so he could give a small kiss to Angelicus. The high priest responded against his wishes and then Raphael was back in the shadows, but still there._

_“Why are you here? I know it cannot be just to see me.”_

_“I am here to kill, as you well know.”_

_“But who?” Angelicus had tried to save Raphael from going to Hell by trying to change his path, but no matter what he did, his best friend wound up becoming an assassin. There was no way to save him, so whatever Raphael did now, Angelicus tried to stay out of it._

_“Your king.” Angelicus paled._

_“You cannot! I plead you, do not do it! It is not because of how we will have only two leaders, but because you will die! He will kill you with no mercy! He is Lucifer incarnate, Raphael!”_

_“I know.” said the other man softly, “But I have no choice. I have been forced to do this because someone will tell the priests about us if I do not assassinate him. As I know I cannot do it without being killed, I know it will come out once I am dead. If it had come out while I was alive, then I would have killed myself while you were put to death so that we may be together.”_

_“...Raphael...” Angelicus wasn't sure what to say, so he went into the shadows and hugged his friend/lover, “I am sorry it had to be this way. At least I know when death and the Devil will come for me.”_

_“I will see you on the other side, Angel.” Raphael gave him another kiss, “Do not cry for me, please.” Tears were already in Angelicus' eyes._

_“That is why I am crying now. Despite the teachings of the church...I love you.”_

_“I love you too.” Raphael broke away and disappeared into the shadows, “Fly on, my angel.” Angelicus wrapped a hand around the feather that hung from his neck and smiled through his tears. The necklace had been given to him long ago by Raphael as a connection to one another. It had once been a dove's purest white wing, but Angelicus had dyed it blue because it suited him more. Raphael, in turn, had gotten another dove's feather and dyed it red for himself and hid it somewhere on his person so they would have a matching set. But now that would not matter, as they both would die soon and be together once more, feathers or not._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. For a long time, the church was the main power, even in Medieval times.
> 
> 2\. Because ghosts become weak underground (as established earlier in the story) and Percival was trapped underground for such a long time, he lost a lot of energy and power, but he was still strong enough to help. He inhabited Patrick's body to make sure the singer's temperature wouldn't keep dropping, but he's still too weak to leave and keep going, so he's helping Patrick as much as Patrick is (unknowningly) helping him.
> 
> 3\. The title of this chapter is from a line in MCR's song Mama and Patrick is singing lines from What A Catch, Donnie.
> 
> 4\. Montresor and Percival can understand Solis because they knew the phoenix for so long. In fact, Solis was the only one who knew about Montresor's ghost back in ancient times and they became good friends.
> 
> 5\. Angelicus and Raphael are the past versions of other bandmembers, though not necessarily from FOB or MCR. Like most of the past characters, they share the first letter of their name with whoever they are connected to in the present. I'm not telling you because I want you guys to figure it out.
> 
> Those are all of the notes for now, but if I miss something, please tell me and I'll fix it. As it is, Youngbloods and Killjoys, I hope you guys like this chapter.


	16. I Sing The Blues And Swallow Them Too

_**“** **...I had always wondered why the allegations that Angelicus was in love with another man came out at that time, but I had never realized-”**_ Percival cut himself off and laid the scroll on the table, keeping one hand on Solis. Running his hands through her feathers had always been calming, even now, and he didn't want to get angry in front of his new friends.

 _“I knew.”_ Montresor said, _“I always followed my brother around during those times while he was in the castle and I have seen him do very_ very _horrible things to others. Angelicus was not his only victim, not at all.”_

 _**“** **Paul and I, we were completely blind to all of this until it was too late. We had suspected but we had no proof until we discovered the Devil's Chamber, and even then we had hoped it wasn't our friend. At least, we** _ **thought** **_he was our friend.”_ **

_“He had many fooled and those that knew were too frightened of him to do anything. You saw how scared Angelicus was of him. He was a menace when he was alive and still is one now.”_

“At least we now know of how Gervasius knew of the affair.” Mikey sighed.

“What affair?” asked Pete, he and the ghosts giving the others confused looks.

“Wait, you guys had no idea?” Ray questioned, surprised.

 _“Well, I was not in the room at the time this had happened, so I do not quite know what you mean.”_ Montresor confessed.

“Erik was Ferdinand's son and Gervasius killed Jiera to get to the kid.” Frank explained, feeling bitter about the events and angry at Gervasius, “We saw a memory in the torture room all about it.”

 _ **“** **I knew he had been lying when he said the child belonged to him.”**_ Percival spoke, nodding to himself, **_“But to steal Ferdinand's child for himself? I do not think I can understand that.”_**

“Gervasius loved Ferdinand, so he wouldn't get rid of his last living connection to his lover.” Bob explained, “But what happened to Erik?”

 _“Gervasius took the child in, saying that the boy had been adopted by him.”_ Montresor said, _“Percival, Paul, and I believed him as far as we could throw him, I believe the saying is, but we did help raise him.”_

 _ **“** **Yes.”**_ Percival nodded, **_“And after I had killed Gervasius, I took the boy in. I assume he then went to Paul once I died.”_** Percival looked to Montresor, _**“And what you said, did Paul truly do that? Did he disband our kingdoms and leave us in ruin?”**_

_“Unfortunately. He also left Erik behind.”_

_**“** **But why? He stayed strong through the deaths of Ferdinand and Gervasius, so why did he fall apart for me?”** _

_“...I did not believe you to be dense, Percival, but now I see I was wrong.”_ Montresor facepalmed.

_**“** **I do not understand what you mean by that.”** _

“Dude, he was in love with you.” Pete said, “Is it really that hard to understand?” Patrick's face blushed at the words as Percival ducked the man's head.

 _ **“** **A-ah, I- I-”**_ Percival gave an embarrassed whimper, where Pete rolled his eyes and hugged the poor king, taking care to avoid the devil bird that had nearly burned his hands off (a.k.a. Solis). The phoenix huffed and got out of the way, hopping back onto the table. She took the scroll in her beak and hopped over to Joe, giving the paper back to him.

“Thanks.” He then opened the scroll to check for another message and found one, different from the first. He gestured for the others to come over as he read the words aloud.

 

_**Thank you for saving my friend. I was afraid he would have faded by now, but I can rest easy knowing he is fine. However, I will not because things are not over. The next step to helping me will be to head to the ballroom. I cannot say what may help me there, but I must warn you to be careful. Gervasius is looking to lure you there to kill you. I am not telling you to go there, but if you wish to help me so that I might help you, you must.** _

 

 _ **“** **The ballroom...”**_ Percival looked up, **_“That is where I became king, but also where I died.”_**

“The chandelier fell on you, right? That was part of the history.” Mikey said.

 _ **“** **Yes.”**_ Percival nodded, **_“I have bad memories of that day...”_**

“Don't think about it.” Pete told him, “Besides, you're in no shape to leave the room, let alone get up and move.”

“He's right. Looks like we'll have to split up again.” Andy sighed, “But this time, we're splitting evenly, no small groups. No one is going to be alone this time, either.”

“I'll go.” Mikey offered, as did Pete.

“Shouldn't you stay here with him?” asked Ray, gesturing to Percival.

“Maybe, but I want to get back at that insane bastard for what he did.”

“Then we're coming too.” Andy said and Joe agreed with him.

_“I will go with you to help.”_

“No.” Mikey shook his head, “You're staying here, just in case. Percival and Patrick are both really weak right now and you'll be able to sense if Gervasius or Romulus are coming for us. And that reminds me, what happened to Romulus after Gervasius was killed?”

 _ **“** **We had him chained up, but there was no need. He starved himself to death.”**_ answered Percival.

“Where do you think he is now?” Frank wondered, “We've seen him, but not since the incident in the courtyard. What do you think he's doing?”

“Whatever Gervasius wants him to do, probably.” Mikey, Pete, Andy, and Joe gathered together as they prepared to leave.

“Be careful out there.” Ray warned, he and the others wishing they could go along but knowing they couldn't.

“While you're at it, look for some cold medicine.” Frank said, “I think I'm trying to catch one after that stunt in the pit.”

“Your own fault.” Bob told him, causing Frank to stick his tongue out at the drummer.

“We'll take a look.” Andy promised, “You all stay safe yourselves.” The group then left, leaving the safety of the library and into the rest of the castle. It was now about midday or so, giving them enough light to see without a torch.

“So, let's see the map.” Mikey crossed his arms and gave Pete a look.

“You knew the whole time, didn't you.” Pete pulled out the brochure with ease.

“I searched my pockets while Frank was pit-diving and found it missing. The only ways I could think of for it to be missing was that it either fell out or someone took it. My bet was on you.”

“Sorry.” Pete unfolded the brochure and they all looked to the map section, “Here we are, and the ballroom is just over that way.”

“Looks really close to the Hall of History.” Joe noted, “We never got to see the painting of Paul and Percival, did we?”

“Yeah, I never got a look at it when I was there, either.” Pete agreed.

“Let's do it another time, when we aren't being chased by a murderous ghost.” Mikey reminded them, then took the lead, “This way.” They walked through the halls, turning corners and such, until they came across one that was messy. A suit of armor had apparently fallen and the pieces were scattered through the corridor, but it wasn't too bad, so the men easily stepped over the pieces.

“Hm?” Andy felt something get caught on his foot and looked down. A sparkling piece of jewelry was on the ground and his foot had nudged it, causing the broken chain to slide across his shoe as it went past. The FOB drummer bent down and picked it up, seeing that cross was attached to it. He realized who's necklace it was and paled.

“Guys?” he got their attention and held up the necklace, “I think Gerard was here.” They weren't sure what he meant until they saw the necklace, where they then paled themselves.

“That must have broken off when the suit of armor fell on him.” Mikey was piecing the scenario together in his head, “Then he headed to the Hall of History to grab his crown, where he then encountered Pete. Then you left and he probably grabbed his crown. There's no telling where he went after that.”

“Well, since this place had to defend itself, maybe there's an armory or smithery around here.” Joe suggested, “Gervasius might have gotten his sword back and then went to sharpen it up.”

“There's nothing on the brochure, but after finding the Devil's Chamber and the Poison List, I'll be hard-pressed to believe there _isn't_ a secret smithery in here somewhere.” Pete admitted.

“We might as well keep going.” Andy said as he slipped the necklace into his pocket. The others nodded and made their way through the rest of the hall before soon coming across the doors to the ballroom. The double doors were gigantic, emblazoned with a spider and scorpion on one door while a phoenix and deer were on the other.

“You know, with the whole deer motif, I just wonder how no one realized the connection Deecadia had to, well, _deer_.” Pete muttered as they gazed up at the doors, intimidated.

“Well, we didn't even know the name of the kingdom until a few minutes ago, so you really can't blame them.” Joe said.

“And when we go in, everyone be careful. The scroll said Gervasius wants to kill someone in here but we don't know who.” Mikey warned before the four worked together to open one of the huge doors. There were three large windows to the room, inviting in lots of light and allowing them to see. The room was very very large, bigger than most ballrooms they had ever seen or imagined, and in four corners of the circular room were four thrones on raised platforms with banners above them showing which kingdom they belonged to. Above it all was a chandelier, similar to the one in the torture chamber, except much bigger. In the very back, under one of the big windows, was another raised platform but nothing was on it.

“Not only was this the ballroom but it also looks like it was the throne room, too.” Andy mused as they looked around, not quite entering the room yet.

“Percival said that this is where he became king, so they probably did their coronations in here too.” Mikey added, “But keep an eye out.”

“Hey, is that a record player over there?” Joe pointed and they all looked to see, as he had described, what seemed to be a record player. They cautiously went closer and found it to be plugged into an outlet installed into the wall. It also looked to be a combination player, not only able to play records but CDs, tapes, and could even pick up radio waves.

“I'm guessing this is what's in it.” Pete picked up a CD case that had been lying on top, and it was one they all recognized. It was _Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!_ by Panic! At the Disco, which they hadn't expected to see at all.

“Well, at least some of the people here had good taste.” Joe said. They all jumped when the combination player's lights flickered on and a song began playing, starting with a heartbeat soundtrack. _This is Gospel_ began floating out of the speakers and the men decided to get the hell out of there before things got any worse, but as they crossed the room, the chandelier started swaying. That was never a good sign for something that large. And when they reached the doors, said doors wouldn't budge.

“Damnit!” cursed the men. They looked up as the chandelier swayed harder and harder and creaks could be heard, as if it was about to break.

“We need to get out of here!” cried Pete.

“I've got an idea, but you're not gonna like it!” Mikey said. He had them wait as the creaks got louder and, when they heard the snap and the chandelier began flying toward them, they dived out of the way. The huge metallic ceiling ornament crashed into the huge doors and forced them to open, leaving them cracked and slightly bent. The chandelier was in no better shape, either, but at least they could get out now. The music had also stopped, thank god.

“Everyone okay?” Andy questioned as they stood up. With the exception of a few scrapes and bruises, no one had been hurt.

“Fuck you, fuck Gervasius, fuck this entire castle!” Pete shouted to the ceiling angrily, as if someone else besides his friends could hear him.

“Same.” agreed Joe.

“So Gervasius can control electricity.” Mikey noted, “That's not a good sign. He could electrocute us if we're not careful.”

“Maybe, maybe not.” Andy said, “All we know for sure is that he can turn electric devices on and off. I say we get out of here before things get worse.”

“I don't think he's gonna make another move.” Pete said after he had vented his anger, “He talked about giving me 'poetic irony' and I think that was just it. Percival died because the chandelier fell on him, so Gervasius tried to make the chandelier fall on me this time.”

“He could make the thrones fly at us.” Joe said.

“Dude, he can make powerful gusts, but have you _seen_ those things? They look like they could weight a ton or more!” Pete was right, the thrones were made out of iron, so they were a bit rusted, but they were large and heavy. It was doubtful the four chairs could be moved, if at all. Each also had plush lining with the colors of the kingdoms covering the backing and seating. And, now that things had calmed down, the men noticed that each of the chairs also had their own little differentiations around them, if not a part of them. There was a bar installed into the top of the Phonicamy throne, the Scorxus throne had a wood pillar beside it, the Spidantia throne had a series of bars and wires behind it, and to the side of the Deecadia throne was just a giant pillow/bed. Those were probably for the kings' animal partners, but the wood pillar didn't make any sense to the men.

“He could still make those things fly at us.” Mikey gestured to the animal accompaniments, mainly the wooden pillar.

“Maybe not. The only things he could really throw at us are the pillow and the pillar, but I don't think he'd dare do anything to the pillar.” Pete said, “After all, he loves Ferdinand and doesn't seem like he'd want to hurt or damage anything that once belonged to the man he loves.” The bassist put on a brave face, “A ghost needs our help, guys, and I'm not gonna get scared away by a chandelier trying to kill me and some creepy music.”

“Well, you're not going alone.” Andy said, joining him, as he didn't want Pete to be alone again. He had said it himself, no splitting up this time. Mikey and Joe shared a look before the Way brother rolled his eyes and the two followed their friends back into the room. Pete headed over to the wooden pillar and laid his hand on it, feeling the hidden grooves and gouges in the unfinished wood. He jumped slightly when they were engulfed in a memory, but for once, this one didn't have a bad feeling to it. The living men moved to the empty raised platform as they looked around, trying to take in the new memory of the castle. People were rushing about, hanging up banners in an old language they couldn't understand (possibly Old East Slavic) and fading daylight streamed in through the windows. Many of the banners had phoenix symbols on them and the men deduced that everything was being set up for Percival's coronation. Upon hearing the doors open, they looked to the front of the room to see Gervasius and another man enter, but this was one they had heard so much of and yet had never seen until now.

It was Ferdinand, and they knew it to be him because of his face and hair, the same as Revenge-Era Frank's but without the dye. He wore the Scorxus crown and carried himself not like a normal person, but as if he was always doing official business. He wore a three-split cape like Gervasius as well as a Black Parade-like vest, a white frilled dress-shirt, a blue sash going in the opposite direction across his chest, and metal braces on his arms embossed with a scorpion image, but that was where it all ended. Around his neck was a necklace with a small vial on the end, possibly a poison of some sort, and his pants were more of the denim variety in the sense that they were tougher material than Gervasius' silky ones. He also wore boots, but they weren't as high as the mad king's, staying more around his ankles than to the nearly knee-height ones of Gervasius. Both also wore their sheaths/swords around their waists, as if ready for an attack, which could come at any time. In fact, except for the way he was dressed and his height, Ferdinand almost looked like he could be a color-mirror image of Gervasius.

 _“Will you please relax?”_ asked Gervasius with a calm, exasperated tone, much different from the usually irritated or crazy tones he usually spoke with, _“It is only a coronation!”_

 _“You have been through two already, including mine, but I have not. I want to be ready.”_ Ferdinand voiced as tables were being brought in. Gervasius rolled his eyes.

_“They are not too important for those observing. If you stay like a painting-perfect statue for too long, you will become stuck like this and I do not wish to see that.”_

_“Perhaps, but this is important to Percival.”_ Ferdinand began walking to his throne and made a gesture behind him, where a giant scorpion came through the doors and began following him. The scorpion wasn't as big as Romulus but was pretty huge in its own right, especially with the tail. Said tail looked more like a prehensile spear than a giant stinger. Once Ferdinand was sitting on his throne, the scorpion scurried over and sat beside him, near the pillar. The scorpion wrapped its tail around the pillar several times before sticking the end of it into the top of the pillar, probably so the stinger wouldn't hurt anyone. Now the wooden pillar made sense to the living men.

 _“You know as well as I do that Percival is our friend.”_ Ferdinand continued, _“We have known him since we were children, so it is only polite to act rightly during his coronation.”_

 _“I am not saying I will not,”_ Gervasius argued, going to his own throne, _“but I am not excited for the preparations nor the party.”_ Romulus scampered in after the mad king before taking his place on the wires behind the Spidantia throne. The giant tarantula closed his eyes, as if trying to get in a quick nap, as did the scorpion.

 _“I realize that you have never liked going to parties, but please, at least be polite!”_ Ferdinand leaned to his left so he could hear his friend better (as their thrones were quite far apart with the raised platform in between them) _“We are the kings, we must set an example!”_

 _“That does mean you have to be so uptight before the party!”_ Gervasius sighed, _“Be reasonable, what use is there for you to be proper hours before the first person comes? No reason at all!”_

_“Gervasius-”_

_“Ferdinand Augustus Idoneus the 6th, I am telling you that you must rest and relax before the party, possibly even while it happens, and you must listen to me.”_ Gervasius turned his body so that his feet were hanging off one throne arm while his back was leaning against the other, his head hanging down so he could still see Ferdinand, _“I am warning you because I know the pressure that will be placed upon you. You must relax so that you can be calm through the chaos that will surely happen. Do you not remember your own coronation?”_

 _“Yes, and it was a splendid affair.”_ Gervasius snorted, causing Ferdinand to give him a glare, _“That was not proper, Gervasius.”_

 _“You were not on the other side of the party. Paul and I put much work into making sure it would be a good night, yet we still had to deal with our duties as kings. Do you realize how many people we and our guards had to escort home because they were so greatly drunk? Very many! You see my shoes?”_ Gervasius lifted his feet so Ferdinand could see them, _“They were dirtied so much by the alcohol that came back up that I had to commission a new pair!”_

 _“And this relates to me_ how _?”_ Gervasius put his feet back down.

 _“You realize how much of a temper I have, do you not?”_ the elder king spoke softly, yet it carried enough to where Ferdinand seemed to hear it, _“It took much self-control to not hurt anyone then and there. Which is why I recommend that you relax as much as possible before the storm arrives.”_ Ferdinand gave a sigh and shook his head.

_“I do not think it will do much to help, but if it will calm you, I shall try.”_

_“Thank you.”_ Gervasius adjusted in his throne again to where he was sitting properly, since he was getting a headache from having his head upside down for so long, _“Will you allow me to add paint to your face?”_

 _“What?”_ Ferdinand blinked, confused, _“Do you mean the facepaint my mother always wore for happy events such as this? I never learned how to apply it, though...”_

 _“You were not supposed to.”_ Gervasius stood up and Romulus opened his eyes, tensing as if ready to follow his partner, but Gervasius waved a hand to keep the tarantula in his spot, _“The kings and queens teach each other how to apply their own facepaint. It may sound ridiculous, but it is part of our tradition.”_

 _“I...see.”_ Ferdinand was still confused by this turn of events as Gervasius called a person over and spoke to them. The person nodded and ran away quickly and Gervasius continued walking over to Ferdinand. He grabbed a random stool to sit on once he was beside his friend and they sat together as they waited for the messenger to come back, presumably.

 _“And, Ferdinand...”_ Gervasius' calm demeanor had completely changed now to a nervous one, with how tense he had suddenly become. He tucked some of his long hair behind his ear as he continued, _“I wish to ask of you something important.”_

 _“Yes?”_ Ferdinand must have been really good with Gervasius' mood changes, so he didn't look surprised at how different the taller king had suddenly become.

 _“Would you...wouldyouliketohavethefirstdancewithme?”_ Gervasius said the line really quickly, causing Ferdinand to give him a confused look, though the look was tinged with something else, the living men could tell.

_“What?”_

_“Would you-”_

_“I heard you before!”_ Ferdinand waved him off, dropping his voice so that others couldn't hear (the living men could barely hear the next few lines themselves), _“But why? You know it is against the social norm we are trying to set!”_

_“We can reset the norms if we wish! We are the kings, others follow our example!”_

_“Yes, but dancing with someone of the same gender?! That is- that is not right! It is against the church and you know it!”_

_“Yes, yet you do not call me out on it!”_ Gervasius began to plead next, a stranger turn in an already weird strain of events, _“Please Ferdinand, all I ask is one dance tonight. You are my best friend, you know what I am capable of, you know I am an atheist, so at least give me this one pleasure.”_

 _“...I am sorry.”_ Ferdinand looked away, though there was hurt shining in his eyes, _“I cannot because I do not want the two of us to die. You know the rules.”_

 _“...Of course.”_ Gervasius gave a bitter-feeling nod and looked away from the younger king. They continued to sit side-by-side for a short while until a servant came back, carrying a tray with smaller circular trays on it, each about the size of a person's hand and filled with various colors. Off to the side was a small brush, and the tray was given to Gervasius. He didn't thank the servant as he took the tray but Ferdinand did, giving his friend an angry glare. Gervasius ignored it, dipping the brush into some of the paint to make sure it would work.

_“Close your eyes and keep them that way. This must go over your eyes and I would not like to accidentally blind you.”_

_“Noted.”_ murmured Ferdinand, but did as he was told. Gervasius was starting to paint Xs over his friend's eyes when the memory finally ended. The group blinked as they realized they were back in the ball/throne room, where there was nothing happening.

“...He really did seem to care, didn't he?” Mikey spoke, sitting down on the platform with his legs hanging off and resting on the ground below, “Gervasius cared about Ferdinand at one time, so maybe there's still a chance he won't die.”

“Still no hope for us, though.” Pete noted as he, Andy, and Joe joined the other man in sitting down. They were all a bit subdued by the good feeling of the memory, compared to the rest they had experienced.

“He got rejected really badly.” Joe added, “You know, there's still a point that people and love can get to where they kill each other if it means no one else can have them.”

“You think Gervasius might have killed Ferdinand and then covered it up?” Andy questioned, raising an eyebrow. His friend nodded.

“Possible, but not likely.” Pete said, “I don't think the dude would have gone _that_ far.”

“ _You_ didn't see the torture chamber.” Mikey pointed out, “If that place was set up by Gervasius like we think, killing Ferdinand so no one else could have him isn't too far of that madman's reach.”

“But if that's the case, would Gervasius still kill Frank?” Andy asked, “Think about it. If Gervasius killed Ferdinand the first time, would he still do it a second time? He hasn't seen the guy in nearly a 1,000 years, so I think that might be a bit out the window.”

“Don't forget what Montresor said.” Joe spoke, “Gervasius could still kill Frank and then take his soul away, like he did to Percival. Anything we think up is possible for all we know.”

“Which is why need to finish up here and then head back.” Mikey said, standing up again, then snickered slightly as he thought of something.

“What is it?” Pete asked, the others curious at why Mikey was suddenly giggling.

“Oh, just remembering something. Remember how Gervasius said he needed to get a new pair of shoes after Ferdinand's coronation?”

“Yeah...?”

“Well, a similar thing happened to Gee once.” Mikey thought back, “There was this fan, I guess she got really excited to see us or wasn't feeling well, and she threw up on Gerard's shoes.”

“Oh god.” The others began laughing lightly as well, “Poor girl!”

“Yeah, well, it wasn't that bad and she felt better after I got her a sprite and Frank and Ray comforted her. I all worked out in the end.” They calmed down, “So, any idea of what we're supposed to be looking for?”

“Don't know.” Pete rested a hand on the hilt of his sword, then brought his hand away quickly when he felt it shock him, “Ow!”

“What's wrong?”

“Stupid sword!” Pete's hand stung as if he had just gotten a bad static shock, “It shocked me!”

“But how-?”

 _“Move your body when the sunlight dies, everybody-”_ Pete's phone went off again and he took it out, but didn't answer it. He gave Mikey a frightened look, which the other bassist didn't understand until Pete said, “That's the ringtone I set for you.” Mikey paled himself and brought out his phone, but it was turned off.

“Answer it.” the younger Way advised, “Might tell us what to do.” Pete nodded and hit the 'answer' button.

“Hello?” There was static as a shaky voice came through.

 _“...Thank you...”_ Then the phone rang on with dial tone, indicating the other side had cut off.

“Well?” asked Andy nervously.

“They just said thank you.” Pete said, staring at his phone, “But why?”

“For all we know, it could be Paul.” Joe suggested.

“But how? I mean, he didn't die here, so why his ghost be here then?”

“He could be trying to come back with our help.” Mikey said, “Percival said that the scroll would have been more of Paul's idea, so he might be using the scroll to ask for our help. He can't appear or talk to us somehow, so it's the only way.”

“Maybe.”

“Guys?” Their heads all snapped up when they heard that voice. The last time any of them had heard that voice was when Pete had encountered Gervasius in the Hall of History, when it had been in stereo with Gervasius' own. The voice belonged to Gerard, who looked so scared and hopeful at the same time as he stood in the doorway of the room. Mikey began running to him, not caring if this was a trap or not, and engulfed the other Way in a hug.

“Gee, you're okay!” he cried, “You're alone and you're okay!”

“Yeah, Mikes.” Gerard leaned his head into Mikey's shoulder, “I'm just fine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. The picture above is from Pinterest, where I found the small story that Mikey references.
> 
> 2\. The Xs on Ferdinand's eyes comes from Frank in Revenge-Era, where he also put Xs on his eyes.
> 
> 3\. Idoneus is a Latin word and the Italian last name Idoni comes from it (which means fit or suitable) but since this is located in Russia and away from Italy, I decided to use the Latin form instead.
> 
> 4\. The poetic irony I was speaking of is the chandelier. As Pete pointed out, Percival died from the chandelier falling on him, so Gervasius tried to end his life in the same way. Not quite sure it really is irony or not, but I think it fits.
> 
> 5\. The chapter title is a line from the FOB song Hum Hallelujah.
> 
> These chapters keep getting longer and longer... Well, Killjoys and Youngbloods, I hope you like this chapter! If I need to explain anything, ask me and I'll put it in these notes! As it is, see you guys later!


	17. You're A Heart Attack In Black Hair Dye

The brothers stepped away from one another to get a better look. Mikey had been so excited to see Gerard that he hadn't even thought his brother could be under Gervasius' control, but as he gazed at Gee, he saw no sign of the ghost. He saw hazel eyes filled with relief and slight fear, a kind face that he knew like the back of his hand, and everything else that made up his brother and not the mad king. This was definitely Gerard, no doubt about it.

“How'd you get away from him?” the younger Way finally asked after a long moment.

“I...I don't know.” Gerard spoke with a frown, “I don't remember if he let me go or what.”

“At least you're okay.” Mikey gave his brother another hug as Pete, Joe, and Andy hung back. They were glad Gerard was okay, but were sharing curious and worried glances. Even though the guy acted like Gerard, they still kept Montresor's words in mind.

 _“ And if one of those powers is of forcing Gerard to be a spirit while Gervasius takes his body for himself, then I would not be surprised._ _”_ That's what the young ghost had said, so was it really possible this wasn't Gerard? Mikey was his brother and he seemed to be convinced, so maybe it _was_ Gerard. Just to make sure, they could ask their ghost friends to sense Gerard, since they seemed to be able to sense different people without seeing them. Maybe they could also tell if the guy was really Gerard or was Gervasius somehow in Gerard's body.

“Now that we're together again, maybe we should head back.” Pete suggested.

“Right.” The others nodded, but before they could leave their sight changed to the fogginess of the memories.

“Fuck, are these gonna start appearing out of nowhere now?!”

“Quiet.” Andy gave Pete a glare though he did agree. They looked around and found it to be a similar memory, if not the same one later in the day. The windows were dark and the chandelier was still up, lit as bright as could be. Music was playing and, with a jolt, the living men realized that the song was a classical version of _This is Gospel_ , which was really weird, since the song hadn't existed until a few years ago. The ones playing it were a group of musicians who were situated on the empty platform as guests mingled. To the sides were tables piled high with food that made the men's mouths water because they hadn't had really good food like that in days (sandwiches were starting not to cut it). The middle of the room was cleared for dancing and whistles were made when Percival appeared, taking a pretty young woman with him to dance. Mingling with the crowd were Paul and Ferdinand (which could barely be seen because of his short stature) which Gervasius stayed off to the side, sitting on his throne while giving the proceedings a disinterested look. This must have been the night of Percival's coronation, which, frankly (no pun intended), looked a bit hectic. The living men expected something big to happen but were surprised when the memory changed, as well as its mood.

Chills shot down their spines as things brightened up and the crowd cleared, but their vision was still foggy. The memory before had been happy, but this one seemed to be filled with a bad feeling. This was exemplified by what they now saw in the ballroom. It was once again daytime and Percival and Paul were talking to others in the middle of the room. The thrones were still there, but two of them had black cloth cast over them, which were the ones of Spidantia and Scorxus. The living men guessed that this memory was from after Gervasius had been killed and immediately they all filled with terrible emotions, knowing what was going to happen. Percival had been made king here, but his reign was about to end.

* * *

_“And the fields? Are they still producing?” Percival asked, Paul by his side. It had been several moons since the death of Gervasius, but not even a year had passed and things were taking a tumble. Gervasius had been the wisest as well as the eldest, taking care of trading for the kingdoms to the outside. And now, with him gone, Four Corners found itself paying more and receiving less than it had before. Paul, being second eldest, was trying to get things under control, but a bad winter was doing their crops in and now they barely had enough to survive themselves. The only things they were able to export for a profit were some poisonous plants and what their animal partners gave them: spider and scorpion poison, spider silk, phoenix feathers (though they could only get those if the phoenixes shed them without having the feathers burn up), and deer antlers. It was barely enough to get them by and the two kings realized that if something didn't change soon, all four kingdoms would be sent into ruin._

_“Yes, but barely.” said one of his advisers, the one from Spidantia. After the deaths of Gervasius and Ferdinand, Percival and Paul had to take over as kings for the two kingdoms as well as their own, so Percival not only ran Phonicamy but Spidantia as well. Paul was in the same situation but seemed to be handling the stress better than the younger king._

_“Are we able to turn a profit this moon?” asked Paul, wondering if they would ever recover._

_“I am not sure, sir.”_

_“Well, what about talks? Is there anyone from the kingdoms who wishes to express something to us?”_

_“Not at this moment.”_

_“I see.” Percival nodded before one of the doors suddenly opened and in came a young boy with black hair, who sprinted to Percival's side, giggling. After him came a young woman who was panting and glaring at the young boy, who couldn't have been no older than 8 or 9._

_“Erik!” she snapped, “Your uncles still have much work to do!”_

_“At ease, Mary.” Paul calmed her with a smile, “I am sure he cannot cause too much trouble this time.”_

_“Erik, apologize!” Percival said, pushing the boy forward._

_“But uncle-!”_

_“She is your caretaker when we are not around and takes very good care of you, so be polite and apologize for the trouble you have caused her today!” Percival gave Erik a stern glare, causing the boy to duck his head in shame. Erik then went over to Mary and quietly apologized. She smiled and hugged him for his apology before he was allowed to go back to his uncles. It was after he had only taken a few steps, however, that things changed. There was a small creak, causing Percival to look up to the chandelier, which he knew to never creak, not once. It seemed lower than usual, didn't it? Something seemed to be wrong and Percival turned to his friend._

_“Paul-” He wasn't able to finish as there was a large SNAP and suddenly the giant chandelier was falling on top of them. People scrambled to get out of the way as Mary grabbed Erik, holding him close and away from the danger as he cried out for his uncles in fear. Paul froze in terror as he watched the chandelier come closer until Percival grabbed his arm and threw him out of the way. The chandelier landed on top of the youngest king with a crash, splintering and screaming as the metal bent at the impact. Dust poofed up from the stone ground as it cracked at the impact and there were small clinks as a silver band bounced out of the rubble, rolling until it rested at Paul's feet. It was Percival's crown and, somehow, Paul knew his friend wasn't going to be alive after that._ No one _could have survived that, and he was sure only one man was spiteful enough, dead or alive, to wish this fate on one of the sweetest men Paul had ever known._

_This was Gervasius' fault, the king of Deecadia knew that for certain._

_“Percival! PERCIVAL!” Erik was calling out for his uncle, trying to get away from Mary and to the ruins of the chandelier as others stood around, terrified, sad, and unsure of what to do. Paul felt the same, much to his shame, but knew he had to do something. Picking up Percival's crown, he stood up._

_“Mary, take Erik back to his chambers. Someone block off this room so no others can come in! Others move the chandelier, someone check to see why it fell!” Paul gazed at the ruins with tears in his eyes, “I will take Percival's body and prepare his funeral.”_

* * *

“Easy.” Mikey moved away from Gerard to help steady Pete, who looked like he was about to faint.

“Patrick...”

“Is fine. That was Percival, _not_ Patrick.” Andy and Joe were taking a chance to lean on each other, since they also felt a bit weak after the memory as well.

“Maybe we should go check on him, just in case.” Gerard suggested, wanting to get out of there.

“Yeah, yeah we should.” Pete agreed, his voice a bit shaky. No matter how much Percival wasn't Patrick, it was becoming a bit much for the band. How could MCR stand this, watching a version of their own singer be so insane?

“Thanks.” Pete whispered to Mikey as they began they way back to the library, if albeit much slower than before, “How do you do it?”

“What do you mean?” Mikey whispered back.

“You guys see Gerard under Gervasius' control and have to watch him lose himself so much. How do you keep going?” Mikey was quiet as he looked forward to his brother, who was walking at the front of the group, nervous as he looked around, as if waiting for Gervasius to suddenly pop out and possess him again.

“...I don't know.” the younger Way admitted, “I just don't know. I feel like I can barely stand it, but somehow I keep going. I can't speak for the other guys, but that's what it feels like to me. And before, when I was reassuring you guys about Patrick, I was glad to do it. You helped me with Gerard earlier, helping to reassure me a bit and get my mind off of what could be happening to him, so I wanted to repay the favor.”

“Well thanks.” Pete smiled at him in gratitude, but then it dropped as he said, “I just hope he's okay.” Mikey wanted to reassure his friend again but knew it would do no good, so he stayed silent. They slowly made their way through the halls until they got to the library, where Gerard pulled the doors open for them. Everyone looked up as the group entered and froze when they saw Gerard. Solis squawked and flew into the air, igniting once again as she glared at Gerard. The man flinched at the movement, ready to run, but couldn't help gazing at the majestic bird. He had always liked looking at fire, after all, even when he had been a kid, so looking at the burning bird wasn't all that different, even though he was really scared. He didn't remember her attacking him but could feel the scratches on his arm and knew they had come from her.

 _ **“** **Halt, Solis!”**_ Solis looked back to Percival, who had spoken, though his voice wasn't loud. He held out an arm and she obediently landed, extinguishing, though she did glare at Gerard. She briefly shook herself to dust off some of the soot between her feathers but never took her eyes away from the MCR singer.

“Gee?” Frank asked, hesitant. It could really be Gerard, it could not. How would they know?

“ _It is him.”_ answered Montresor, _“I cannot feel the presence of Gervasius anywhere.”_

“That's good.” Ray and the rest of MCR smiled at Gerard and the singer smiled back, until Frank jump-tackled him with a hug.

“Dude, where the fuck have you been?!” he asked as Gerard struggled to keep upright with the smaller man hanging off of him, “I mean yeah, Gervasius probably took you, but still!”

“Get off me!” Gerard said, though his voice wasn't mad and was muffled by Frank, who was hanging onto his head and shoulders.

“Dude, stop before you make him break his neck or something!” Mikey laughed, as did the others, and for once, things felt normal.

 _ **“** **Does he do this often?”**_ asked Percival as he stroked Solis to keep her calm, getting soot on Patrick's fingers in the process but not caring too much about it. He was used to it and, though only around half-an-hour had passed, he and Patrick both felt better. He only needed some food and he supposed he would feel as fine as he had in 1000 years.

“Oh, you have _no_ idea!” answered Bob.

* * *

As the day wore on, the two bands tried to make their own plans and relax a little, though they slowly got more and more nervous as the sun went down and day turned to night. Gervasius hadn't made a sound all day and it scared the shit out of them, since the ghost was stronger at night and could pop up at any time. Yet they were all happy to have Gerard back in their midst, safe and sound. The first aid kit had also been brought out and used to disinfect and wrap up the scratches on Gerard's arm (which Solis wouldn't apologize for no matter how much Percival tried to coax her), though something about it bothered Frank. While Mikey had been looking through the kit for bandages, Frank had noticed Gerard watching, yet he was calm. Frank knew there were hypodermic needles in the box and the sight of them, as well as the prospect of tattoo needles, at least made Gerard flinch, but the singer was completely calm. Frank supposed Gerard couldn't see the needles from the angle he was at or couldn't see them in the kit at all, but it still somewhat bothered him.

“I know this probably won't be true, but do you think he's finally left us alone?” Pete quietly asked while they all ate some sandwiches smuggled from the kitchen. Percival had gone right to sleep afterword and was leaning against the bassist's side, snoring softly, and Solis was perched somewhere high above. She apparently didn't need food to eat, since she was still alive after 1000 years, but Percival had still tried to feed her regardless. She wouldn't eat a bite for some reason, which had seemed OOC to Percival, but he didn't think much of it because he was quite tired and need to sleep. After all, Patrick had nearly died and though his body was doing much better thanks to Percival, he was still weak and needed all the energy he could get.

“Nope.” said Mikey, “Guy's batshit insane. He's not gonna let us go this easily.”

“Maybe he's changed his mind.” Joe suggested, but even he knew Mikey was right. This place was making it hard to be an optimist, you know?

“Yeah right.”

“Anyway, what about ways we could get out? He hasn't locked the windows, so maybe we could make a rope from bedsheets and stuff so we can climb down, like the movies.” Andy said.

“That's not a bad idea.” Ray said, thinking about it.

“Yeah, but he might have thought of it already.” Gerard pointed out.

 _“Gerard is right, it would not be wise to escape though the windows.”_ Montresor said, still perched on the mantle, _“Romulus is still out there. He could easily get to us if we tried to escape that way.”_

“Point taken. What's another way we could get out?” Bob said.

“Well, we haven't had time to go looking for the keys to the front doors, so maybe we could try that.” Frank said.

“I saw a key ring in the Hall of History, which is how I got the sword.” Pete said, “Maybe that ring has the door key on it!”

“Then someone has to go get it.” Andy spoke, “And who the hell has the guts to do that right now, when it's dark?”

“We can try to get it as a group in the morning.” Mikey compromised, “For now, let's get some well-deserved sleep.” Everyone nodded and tried to finish up.

* * *

“Hey, don't fall asleep just yet.”

“Fuck you, dude.” Frank yawned, leaning against Gerard as they sat by the fire. Everyone else had gone to sleep, but Gerard hadn't and didn't seem to want Frank to go the same way. Montresor was watching over them, though he had passed out of the visible spectrum.

“Well, tell me something about you I don't know.”

“What is with you and wanting to stay up tonight? Out of all of us, you need the most rest.”

“I'm okay, I promise.”

“You mean NOT okay.” Frank grinned at the joke, but it fell when he saw Gerard didn't seem to get the joke. Now this worried him, “You sure you're okay? You wrote that song, you should have gotten that.”

“Oh, oh right.” Gerard immediately smiled and nodded, but Frank knew something was wrong. Before he could call his friend out on it, the doors to the library burst open and in came Romulus with a screech. Frank froze in fear as no one seemed to wake and the spider got closer and closer and _closer_ -

 _“Let go of me!”_ Romulus had reached up above the fireplace and grabbed Montresor with his mandibles, where the young ghost was now visible as he struggled to get away. He hadn't known what to do, as the last time Romulus got him he was taken away and trapped, so he had frozen just like Frank had. Romulus then turned to the two men who were still awake and gave a hiss. Frank paled and felt like he was going to faint, but then Gerard's arm was around him and pulling him to his feet. Frank squeaked and wanted to shout at him, 'What the fuck are you doing?!' but his voice was gone because of his fear and then Gerard spoke.

“About time.” he stretched out a hand to stroke the tarantula, nearly passing through the giant spider's head, “Now get going. Don't let Monty out of your sight.” Romulus get a small chitter in reply before jumping out and through the ceiling. Slowly, Frank turned to Gerard, still filled with fear as he realized what was going on. Gerard was giving him a smile, though his eyes were filled with a darkness and insanity that Frank knew came from only one other.

“Oh, _fuck me_.”

“Come on, I'm not going to hurt you.” Gerard (or could he be considered Gervasius now?) tugged him along, bringing him out of the library. Frank tried to fight back but the guy's grip was incredibly strong for Gerard. The king also seemed to have taken up Gerard's speech pattern, not separating his words when it was easier to shorten them together, unlike what he had done before.

“What did you do to them?!”

“They're fine. Just a little Harbinger and they won't wake up until the morning. You had a little yourself, so I can't let you sleep just yet.” This caused Frank to pause briefly.

“Why? What do you want to get out of this?”

“Just you.” Gervasius smiled at him again.

“Then where's Gerard?”

“In my crown.”

“...You're not gonna kill me?”

“Now I wouldn't say _that_. I'm just going to keep you alive and away from them until the time is right.”

“You're still gonna kill me. Great.” Frank's voice was deadpan, but on the inside he was terrified, “Why are you so obsessed with me?”

“Because you're my lover and I'm not going let you get away again.”

“But I'm not Ferdinand!” Frank shoved against Gerard and managed to break away. Before he could run, though, Gervasius was gripping one of his wrists and it was so tight Frank felt like the king was trying to crush it.

“Yes, _you are_. Don't like to me.” growled Gervasius, “Why would you look like Ferdinand if you weren't Ferdinand? You're his reincarnation and I'm not gonna let you get away again! Now come!” Jerking Frank along with him, Gervasius began walking to wherever he was going before. Frank twisted his arm, trying to break the mad king's grip, but nothing was happening. He couldn't get free, so his only choice now was to follow. They walked and walked down the halls, through the neutral yellows to various red and Frank suddenly knew where they were going. They were heading to Gervasius' room, which made no sense. Wouldn't the mad king want to take Ferdinand to Ferdinand's room? Why take Ferdinand to his own room instead?

“In.” Gervasius' voice was an order as he lightened his grip slightly. Frank went inside and Gervasius followed, closing the door and finally letting him go. The portrait was still there, as well as the fireplace and the carvings near the window, and there was mirror on the wall and a stool beside the window this time. Gervasius had set this up for some reason.

“Sit.” Frank didn't go to the stool, though he did move away from Gervasius.

“What are you going to do?”

“Just cut your hair.” Gervasius slid the dagger from the Devil's Chamber out of Gerard's jacket.

“You're gonna stab me!”

“I told you, I want you alive for the time being. I'm not going to stab you.” the king gestured with the knife, “Your hair's too long. I want to cut it so that you'll look like you should.”

“Fuck you!”

“Gladly.” Gervasius gave him another smile and, though Frank knew it was the king in control, he couldn't help but melt a little at it. It was Gerard's smile, the cute little smile filled with tiny teeth that he had always loved, so he couldn't resist when Gervasius came forward and gently guided him to the stool and made him sit. The king stood behind him and Frank could see Gervasius reflected in the mirror, holding the dagger as if he had been born with it in his hand.

“Do you mind taking your shirt off?” he asked softly, gently, almost in a whisper, “I don't want you to get hair trapped somewhere on your shirt and have you look bad.” Frank was tempted to snap at him and ignore his request, but with the dagger so close to his head, the guitarist knew it was a better idea to comply. He took off his jacket and then his shirt, cheeks turning a bit red as he showed himself to the mad king. Gervasius gazed at him in wonder, putting a free hand against his shoulder and running it down his arm, resting over the red splash on his elbow.

“I'd ask if this was sorcery, but that's not it, is it?” said Gervasius, “How did you get the art to stay on your skin? I can't feel the lines ort the paint, but I can see it so clearly.”

“It's called a tattoo.” Despite the circumstances, Frank gave a proud smile, “They use needles to put ink under your skin to make a design that doesn't go away. Unless, of course, you pay a lot of money and have to go through a lot of pain to get it removed, so it's mainly a do-it-and-don't-go-back thing.”

“You have some on your neck.” Gervasius moved his hand to Frank's neck, “It's that dangerous?”

“Only if the artist doesn't know what they're doing. The other side has-” Frank paused as he realized something, “...Does the Scorxus scorpion symbol have 7 legs instead of 8?”

“Yes. Why?”

“...Nevermind.” Frank brought a hand up to touch the scorpion tattoo but found his hand in the grip of Gervasius'. The king gazed at the tattoos on his hands with wonder, as if _Halloween_ and _Bookworm_ were precious treasures.

“Amazing.” he finally voiced, letting Frank's hand go, “Now stay still. I don't want to hurt you.”

“Yeah right.” Frank muttered but did as he was asked while Gervasius pulled at his hair and began cutting it with the dagger. Frank watched for a minute or two as his hair fell like raven feather being shed before he closed his eyes. He felt Gervasius run his hands through the younger man's hair and it reminded Frank of old memories he wish he could forget.

* * *

_All of it was stage-gay. At least, that's what it had been originally. Now, no one was really sure anymore. Mikey and Ray were really starting to think Frank and Gerard were in love, Bob stayed out of it (he was still kind of new to the band and didn't want to have any part in the love antics), and Gerard and Frank were confused with their feelings. Warped 2005 was over, but the stage-gay still went on and it irritated the hell out of Frank. He had promised Gerard at one time that, if the singer wasn't married by the time Frank was 30, the guitarist would marry him. He was dying for the years to pass so he could tell him the truth, because Frank was mostly convinced that Gerard thought it was a joke, but it wasn't, not one bit._

_“You ready?” Frank looked up from tuning his guitar when Gerard asked him the question. They were about to go on stage once more. The older man's hazel eyes twinkled with something Frank couldn't identify as he smiled._

_“Just about. Ready to make the fangirls scream?”_

_“You bet!” Gerard was just so excited for the concert that Frank couldn't help but smile._

I just wish you told me if you really loved me. _Frank thought,_ Maybe if I knew for sure, I wouldn't be so frustrated.

* * *

_He had tried to keep the promise, but couldn't help it when he fell in love with a woman named Jamia Nestor. They were engaged now, but Frank had noticed a change in Gerard since the engagement. The singer had become a bit more prone to anger than usual and would lash out at him sometimes. Frank was getting tired of the unknown anger and decided to confront Gerard about it now, days before July 4th._

_“What's bothering you?” Frank wasn't going to try to get Gerard angry right away. He wanted some answers._

_“What do you mean?”_

_“You keep snapping at me, dude. What's wrong?” Instantly Gerard's eyes seemed to darken._

_“None of your business.” There was a bitter tone to Gerard's voice._

_“You're snapping at me, like I just said.” Frank pointed out, trying to keep calm, “This has been going on since I proposed to Jamia. I let it slide, but you've been bitching since then and it's always been to me. What the hell is wrong?”_

_“Nothing that you should be worried about.”_

_“I've been one of your best friends for years and you're pushing me away. I want to know why, Gerard.” With how Gerard was being angry with him, Frank wanted to fight back with his own anger, but knew it wasn't the answer. Still, Gerard was trying on his nerves._

_“Then maybe you should take a look back at your words and see why.” Was Gerard's response before the singer left Frank alone. Frank growled and was tempted to go after his friend, but took a second to think over the words. He was going through the part about Jamia when he realized what Gerard meant._

He's angry because I didn't keep the promise. _Frank thought,_ It wasn't a joke to him, either. And I ripped it to shreds when I proposed.

* * *

 _Frank knew that Gerard was mad at him now, but he couldn't just back out on Jamia because he really did love her, so they married. And, so many months later, Gerard seemed to snap right back at him by marrying Lyn-Z with no warnings whatsoever. The show days before even had Frank's emotions twisted, because Gerard had never pushed away one of his tackles before. Yeah, Gee got hurt a few times (_ Famous Last Words _being the main offender) and the singer was angry at him for marrying someone else, but he had never shown his anger on_ stage _. And the words that Gerard spoke to him before continuing on with the set, which he had pressed away into his memory, had been hurtful._

 _Frank had watched with his wife as Gerard had gotten married but couldn't help feel bitter and betrayed himself. He supposed this is what Gerard had felt like when he had proposed and gotten married and he thought there had been signs ( such as those few days when Gee had to wear that weird handkerchief-scarf around his neck), but at least his friend had a_ warning _that Frank was going to marry. This wedding had come out of nowhere and on the last show of the tour, too. It was very bittersweet to Frank and once the ceremony was over, he politely left Jamia behind to stay by himself. He was alone and didn't know when he started crying, but that's how he was when Ray found him. The other guitarist had said nothing, taking Frank into his arms as he cried. Frank didn't know what Ray could have been thinking about what was going on but knew he had been grateful to his friend for the silent support._

I'm sorry, Gerard, if this is how you felt. _Frank thought,_ If we had another chance, I would make it all up to you as best I could.

* * *

Frank didn't know when Gervasius had stopped but came back to the present when he felt fingers on his cheeks. They were wiping away the tears caused by the memories and the guitarist opened his eyes to see Gervasius kneeling in front of him, a worried look on the king's face. It was also at that moment Frank realized something else.

 _If Gerard hadn't married Lyn-Z and stayed bitter, would he have become a version of Gervasius?_ It was a disturbing thought to think about, but it could have very well been true.

“Are you okay?” Gervasius asked, voice quiet yet filled with worry, “You're crying.”

“...I'm fine.” Frank pushed the other's hands away, “Just finish up.”

“...” Gervasius said nothing and went back to cutting Frank's hair, which was now much shorter around the sides. Frank remembered Ferdinand had a Revenge-Era look to his hair, so he supposed that was what Gervasius was going for. He perked his ears when he heard the mad king humming a small song.

“What are you singing?” Frank asked, curious despite himself.

“A song I created a long time ago, when I was still alive. Want to hear it?”

“Sure.” Gervasius coughed a bit to clear his throat and then began singing in Gerard's voice, or at least a voice very similar to it.

“I sew your hands on to see you speak,

I sew your legs to see your eyes leak.

I sew your mouth to make you smile,

I sew your body just so you can stay a while.

I promised to sew you up whenever you're feeling down,

But sometimes sewing can't turn feelings around.

I love to sew, I sew to love,

But not having your love just isn't enough.

Love me so I can make your tears shine,

Love me so I can make you mine.

Love me so I can make you a doll,

Love me so I can do it all.”

It was an eerie song that made shivers crawl along Frank's spine, but it had a nice sound to it. Just like a lot of the songs MCR did, like _Mama_ , _Headfirst for Halos_ , and so on. Bad subject matter, happy beat was the theme of those sorts of songs and this one was no different.

“When did you make it?”

“When I began making dolls for you.” Gervasius sounded like he was smiling as he went on, “I took down that drab tapestry and used it to make a lot of dolls for you to show you that I loved you, even if you couldn't be there. And when I ran out of cloth, I began using those that I tortured for more realistic dolls.” Frank went a little pale at that, as he could guess at what the mad king meant. Frank looked around for another topic for Gervasius and saw the carvings in the stone around the window.

“How did those happen?” he pointed to the skulls, fire, dragons, and hearts. And, now that he was closer, he could see small roses and words sent into the stone as well.

“I made it. I was a stone carver when I was bored, which was more often than you'd think. My best work is there at the bottom, the giant heart with wings.” Frank could see what Gervasius was talking about and had to admit, it looked good. There was also some writing on the inside of it, _F + G_.

“You put your initial and Ferdinand's initial in it.”

“What else would I put there?” Gervasius ran a hang thought Frank's hair, “What do you think?” Frank looked away from the carvings and to the mirror. It was like looking back in time almost, with the sides incredibly short but the fauxhawk just as long. Frank played with the end to make it curl and smiled, impressed.

“Were you a hairdresser too?”

“No. I just use my hands like delicate tools.” Gervasius ran another hand through Frank's hair, “Now we need to head to your room.”

“Why?” Frank looked up as he dusted the hair off of himself.

“I want you to sleep in your room tonight.” Gervasius handed him back his shirt in jacket, “I'm not gonna do anything to you while you sleep.”

“To me? Are you planning to do something to the others?!” Frank was once again afraid and angry at the ghost king.

“Not all of them.” Gervasius corrected, “Just some of them. Now please put this on before I have to force you into it.” He was still holding out the shirt and jacket. Frank wanted to argue but could see that Gervasius still had the dagger out and probably wouldn't think twice about hurting the guitarist to get his way. So Frank complied, though he did it slowly to irritate the ghost. Yet Gervasius didn't look even the slightest bit angry after it as he took Frank's hand, dragging the other with him out of the room and towards the Scorxus section of Four Corners.

* * *

 

* * *

 

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. All the post pictures above are from Pinterest and add together to help create Frank's memories.
> 
> 2\. The Party Poison/Fun Ghoul art above is from DeviantArt (Bulletproof by Building-Bridges) and I thought it would be nice to add it in, as it gives a visual to what Frank did when jumping on Gerard.
> 
> 3\. The last image, the 'Gerard thought' part, is also from Pinterest and I think it helps sum up the 'Frank's memories' part well.
> 
> 4\. Originally I wanted to end it at the 'Oh, fuck me' part, but then the plot bunnies wouldn't let me, so I continued and now it's a huge chapter that I didn't mean to make. *sigh*
> 
> 5\. Harbinger wasn't destroyed when Pete had gone to destroy some of the poisons. Gervasius managed to slip it into everyone's food except his own and kept up a good act, I think, though he didn't have much time to do it. And, while he was away from the others, he had quickly gone down to the Devil's Chamber to grab the dagger, which is how he has it in the story.
> 
> 6\. Mary is actually the past version of one of the bandmembers' wives. I wonder if you can guess which one, because the whole 'Same First Initial' thing still applies here.
> 
> 7\. I made up the poem/song thing myself. Do you like it? I do!
> 
> 8\. Because Gervasius has control of Gerard's body (where the singer is trapped in the king's crown as a spirit), he's also sort of talking like Gerard because it's still Gerard's body, even if Gervasius has control over it.
> 
> 9\. The memory of Percival's death was summoned by Gervasius instead of being caused by touching something or entering a place (like usual), as he still has some of his ghost powers while in control of Gerard's body.
> 
> 10\. The title is a line from MCR's Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back.
> 
> 11\. I've seen This Is Gospel to really connect to this story for some reason, so it's going to have a few more references before this all ends. And I'm pretty sure you can make a classical version of it to if you try, like how other modern songs have been made classical with classical instruments.
> 
> 12\. The references Pete and Mikey make in here to helping each other come from different chapters. Chapter 9 (There Are Some Things We Still Need To Learn) is where Pete reassures Mikey and Chapter 15 (Mama, We All Go To Hell) is where Mikey reassures Pete.
> 
> 13\. Wikipedia says that Frank proposed and got married before Gerard did, so if we go along the lines of Frerard, he's the one who wasn't faithful to the promise first.
> 
> The hair-cutting part I'd actually had planned out for a while, but it signifies one horrible thing: The story is going to end soon. I've loved all that you've given me, Youngbloods and Killjoys, but all good things have to come to an end. The end should be in the next 2 to 3 chapters and I might make a sequel to this (I've already got a prequel on my mind), so I hope you guys continue to like and love this story for what it is, my first Bandom-only story and my first on the Archive!


	18. You're The One That I Need, I'm The One That You Loathe

Gervasius gave a sigh as he closed the door behind him. It had taken a while to get Frank to go to sleep, but he had finally managed it. He covered his mouth with his hand as he tried to yawn. He knew he was tired, but he still had work to do. First, he went to the library and looked up. He could practically feel Solis glaring down at him, daring him to try something. He wondered why she hadn't done anything earlier but guessed it was because of Frank for some reason. She had always seemed a bit weird to him. Keeping an eye above, Gervasius went to pick up Percival in his arms and that's when Solis screeched. She came down on him like a fireball of fury, but Gervasius was prepared. He knew she would take no more chances after the first stunt he had pulled against the shorter, younger man, so he whipped out his dagger and stabbed her in the wing.

She fell to the floor, squawking painfully as her fire went out, and tried to fly again, but couldn't with her damaged wing. Gervasius had meant to hit her in the chest, neck, or head and kill her, but without her wing, she was just as helpless. He gave the phoenix a vicious kick and a nasty smile before he continued on. After picking up Percival, he headed to the basement and to the Devil's Chamber, careful to avoid the pendulum step-stone. Once inside the still lit room (though it wouldn't be lit for much longer, the candles being almost out of wax), he went over to the Iron Maiden and dragged Patrick's body with him.

“No more chances this time.” Gervasius murmured to himself before forcefully stuffing Percival into the coffin and slamming it shut. Because the spikes were so old, he supposed some of them would have broken off at the impact and not killed the other man. However, as he fastened the latch on the side, the mad king knew there was no way anyone would be able to find Percival in the darkness until it was too late. Besides, Percival was too weak to manipulate the latch, so he would surely die. Giving a loving pat to the Iron Maiden as if it were his pet, Gervasius left and headed to the kitchen. He hadn't minded as a ghost when they put new things in, but now he hated it, as he had to use a lot of strength and energy to push the broken freezer aside to get to the ground underneath. His fingers searched the floor until they touched the edges of a block that was higher then the rest, allowing Gervasius to grip it and pull it out. Underneath was a ladder that led to his wine cellar, which is where he went next.

Taking out of his pocket the lighter he had stolen off of Pete (getting revenge on Percival would hurt the Paul lookalike once again, which was what Gervasius was aiming for), he lit a torch nearby and gazed at the rows of bottles. The room was still untouched, even after so long, and for that he was grateful. This was his last hiding place (even more than the Devil's Chamber) and he had been angry when the living people had invaded his personal spaces, so he had taught them a lesson to show them that they shouldn't meddle where they're not allowed. He knew that some of them were probably not good anymore, the blood he had mixed with them having congealed, but most he knew were just fine. He grabbed a bottle of Cabernet Severny and lugged it with him as he went back upstairs, grabbing two glasses on the way out of the kitchen. He then carried it with him as he went to the Hall of History and grabbed Ferdinand's crown, as well as his, then headed back to Ferdinand's room. He put down the items on one of Ferdinand's reading tables and gazed over at Frank. He watched as the guitarist breathed evenly in his sleep and looked so calm and content, which was very different from how frustrated and scared he looked earlier. The curl of his hair fell over his face in a way that made Gervasius think it was cute without a doubt, but the king was still troubled.

“Why don't you remember me?” Gervasius moved closer, using one of Gerard's hands to rake through Frank's hair, “I fixed your hair, I took you away from those bastards, I brought you back to your room, but you still don't remember. You're so close, yet so far at the same time. I'm sure that once you remember, you'll realize who the good guys are and you'll join me.” Gervasius then began to sing softly, “ _This is gospel for the fallen ones_ _, locked away in permanent slumber. Assembling their philosophies from pieces of broken memories_ _..._ ”

* * *

Patrick groaned as he woke up, hurting in all sorts of places. He shifted slightly and winced as something dug into his side and back. And, upon opening his eyes, all he could see was darkness. The last thing he remembered was being locked in the freezer, so was he dead now? If so, then why was he still in pain? In fact, he didn't feel cold at all anymore, just pain. There were all sorts of things around him, digging into him, and he could feel a few cuts somewhere on his person. He was pretty sure he was alive, but then where was he?

“Hello?” he asked softly. It echoed back at him from the confines of his cage or whatever was holding him. He pushed out with his hands but quickly brought them back when his palms hit sharp spikes. He tried to feel around them and found that they were scattered about, not too numerous, and soon he had his hands touching the cover of what was holding him. He tried pushing but found that either it was locked or he was still pretty weak. Nearly freezing to death can do that to a guy, he supposed. He paused when he heard a click outside his prison, and then a voice.

 _“Try now.”_ It was a ghostly voice, familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time, but it didn't sound like Gervasius. Patrick _knew_ how Gervasius sounded and this sure as hell wasn't him. He followed the advice and pushed again, where it opened like a door, but there was still darkness. Except, it wasn't completely dark because there was a ghost man standing there, waiting for him, and it wasn't Gervasius. The guy looked a lot like him, which the blondish hair and green-blue eyes, but he was wearing a black cape/robe, a dark green suit with a lighter green dress shirt, silver bracers on his arms with the image of a phoenix, and black boots. There was no crown or sword/sheath though, just like Gervasius. The ghost was holding out a hand and smiling, looking as bright as the light he was giving off.

“Are you Percival?” Patrick asked, taking his offered hand. The other man nodded.

 _“Yes. I helped to save your life and now I am doing it again.”_ the king frowned and seemed to turn to a random direction, _“Quickly, we have to get above ground again. It is already morning and we cannot waste time!”_ He started forward and Patrick hurried to catch up, knowing he had no choice but to follow.

“What do you mean you saved my life?” asked Patrick, confused, “What happened while I was out?”

 _“Many things.”_ Percival glanced back at him, _“Your friends will explain later, but I can say this: I inhabited your body while you were in danger of freezing to death. I kept you from dying, Patrick, though I was quite weak myself.”_ Percival suddenly stumbled and Patrick automatically held out a hand to catch him but it passed right through the ghost. Percival gave him a smile for at least trying to help as he straightened up.

 _“I am still weak, as you can see, but I cannot let you die.”_ he said, _“I am not going to make the same mistake as my friend.”_

“But you shouldn't work yourself so hard if this is hurting you.” Patrick warned, “Trust me, I know what it's like to push yourself when you're not ready.” He lifted a hand to his throat and could still feel some hurt from the bruise around his neck, though it wasn't as bad as when it had been there the first time, “I never had any proper training to sing before I joined my friends and made up the band, so we had some trouble with my voice for a while. It's gotten a lot better, though.”

 _“I see. I was never much of a singer myself, but I could always speak volumes.”_ Percival gave a chuckle, _“Quite literally, I am afraid. My voice was loud when I was alive and it did not take much for people to listen to me. However, Paul was always the one with the words. He could always express something when I could not, and I suppose that was what made us good friends. I could make others listen and he could make them see sense.”_

“Yeah.” Patrick gave a smile, “Pete and I are kind of the same way. He writes the lyrics and I sing them, but I give some input of my own. The whole band does, since Fall Out Boy's a group effort, and I'm usually the one who has to sing what we write.”

 _“Stop.”_ Percival suddenly paused in his walking and Patrick nearly passed through him before he stopped himself. Percival then held out a hand in a vague direction, _“There are stairs here that will lead us to the hallway of the kitchen. I am warning you of this because I barely know how to be a ghost. Gervasius kept me locked down here for a very long time, so if I am not acting on your expectations, do not be worried.”_

“He did? Seriously, how much did I miss?” Patrick muttered most that to himself as he followed Percival up the winding stairs, wondering how the others were doing.

* * *

Pete woke up groggily, slowly blinking open his eyes. He hadn't had such a deep sleep in a long time, not since before they entered Four Corners. Hearing some squawking, he looked to the side to see Solis. She had noticed him wake and was now hobbling over to him as best she could, he hurt wing dragging on the ground. This was what caused Pete to really wake up, where he sat up and gently took her into his arms.

“What happened to you?” he questioned, even though he knew she wouldn't answer. She gave a small groan, pecking slightly at the hand he had under her chest. It still ached there, after Gervasius' kick so many hours ago. Pete gave a look around and quickly noticed that 3 people were missing.

“Girl, what the fuck happened while we were out?!” In turn, Solis gave him a nasty glare, “...Gervasius was here, wasn't he?”

 _What was your first clue?_ She thought, rolling her eyes and pecked at his chest for confirmation.

“I'm starting to think you hate me.”

 _'Hate' is a strong word. I would say it is more of a VERY BIG dislike._ She hopped out of his hands, clumsily catching air with her unhurt wing and faceplanting on the floor. This was turning out to not be a good day at all. Where was Percival when you needed him? Pete tried not to snort at the action before he picked her up again.

“You're a very prideful girl, you know that?” In response, Solis huffed and looked away from him. Pete shook his head and examined her wing. The dagger had gone in through the wing and out the other side, breaking the phoenix's hollow bones and cutting right through the skin. Bleeding had stopped a while ago, but it was obvious Solis was going to have to go through some serious recovery before she could use her wing again, if ever. Pete took her over to a table and got the first aid kit, where he began setting her wing and bandaging it the best he could. He was no expert, but he wasn't going to let the poor bird drag her damaged wing all over the place.

“So, when did this happen?” Solis gave him another bad glare, “Right, I can't understand you. But how did Gervasius do this?”

 _He's a smart, manipulative bastard. What do you think?_ Both of them looked over when they heard more people waking up. Quickly finishing dressing up Solis' wing, Pete then went over to the shelves and threw books and scrolls at his friends to get them awake quicker. It worked, if with a lot of cursing.

“OW!” Mikey rubbed his head, as did everyone else, “What was that for?!”

“Well, three of our friends are gone and Solis is injured, so I think that gave me a good reason to wake the rest of you up with books.” They looked up to see Solis on the table with her bandaged wing and knew he was right.

“Then what happened? How did we all sleep through it?” Andy asked as they got to their feet.

“Probably one of the poisons.” Ray answered.

“But I destroyed all of the ones that we could reach.” Pete said.

“Well, what about that one we got down from the top? Harbinger, wasn't it? Did you destroy that?” Bob asked. Pete thought back before slowly shaking his head.

“No, I don't even remember seeing it after we left.”

“So, basically Gervasius drugged us, hurt Solis, and took Frank and Percival with him.” Joe said, “And Montresor too.”

“Joe's right, I think Montresor's gone.” Mikey spoke, “Man, did he dupe us good. He took Gerard's body and fooled all of us without breaking a sweat.” The younger Way felt ashamed for not being able to tell the difference between his own brother and a murderous ghost.

 _“It is not your fault.”_ The group looked over so see one of the doors open as a ghost passed through them. It was Patrick and Percival, though Patrick was a bit banged up compared to his ghostly counterpart. Many of the spikes had broken off, as Gervasius suspected, but a fair share had still stood and had cut Patrick in the sides and back. The singer tried to cover it up so his friends wouldn't worry, but it was really hurting and he was sure they were noticing, even now.

“Patrick!” The singer's eyes widened as Pete raced to grab him. He tried to dodge but then he was in his best friend's grip and he gave a hiss of pain as Pete hugged him tightly.

“Pat?” Pete asked, frightened by the hiss, “You okay?”

“Gervasius is a bastard.” Patrick answered, tenderly pulling away from Pete, “He is such a _fucking_ bastard.”

 _“Careful.”_ Percival warned, _“Patrick was pierced by the Iron Maiden's spikes. He still hurts.”_

“Oh man, I'm sorry!” Pete wanted to hug Patrick again but refrained from it, knowing it would hurt him worse, “Here, let's take a look at it.”

 _“We do not have time for that! Gervasius could be killing your friend as we speak.”_ Percival said.

“I'll be fine.” Patrick assured Pete and the others, “I'm in no shape to help, though. Follow Percival's orders, he'll be able to help better than I will.”

“But-”

“ _Go_.” Patrick was not messing around, he had given an order and no matter what happened, he wanted Pete to save Frank and Gerard. They were the ones in danger now. And when he turned away slightly to let them leave past him, Pete could see the holes poked through his friend's jacket and the red spots underneath. The injuries made his blood boil. Oh, Gervasius was going to _pay_ when Pete got his hands on him.

“C'mon.” Mikey took the lead and led them out, taking care not to look at Patrick. He knew the singer and Percival were both right, but Mikey knew that if he looked, he would want to stay behind and help Patrick. They couldn't deal with that right now, Gerard and Frank needed them.

“We'll get him.” Joe assured to Patrick.

“He's not gonna get away with doing this.” Andy pat the fedora man's shoulder. Both of them had seen the injures, just like Pete, and they were also pissed.

“Just don't kill him.” Patrick warned, “It's still Gerard's body and besides, he's a ghost. He's already dead, so what would the point be?”

“Making sure he doesn't come back.” Pete growled. Patrick turned to him, a worried look in his eyes, and opened his mouth to speak, but he was caught off-guard when Pete gave him a sudden kiss. It was short, almost a peck, and Patrick's eyes were wide as he stared at his best friend. They had played around with the thought a lot, and they were even married to their wives now. Why had he-?

“If things get nasty,” Pete spoke, “just know that I really care for you, more than a friend.” And then the bassist was gone with the others, leaving Patrick alone with Solis. He was reminded of this fact when the phoenix squawked and flapped her unhurt wing, trying to get his attention. The look she was giving him clearly said, _'Well, are you gonna go after them or what? I'm not gonna stay here and just stand around!'_ And Patrick knew she was right, he couldn't just stay behind after Pete showed him his true colors.

“Where to first?” he questioned, picking her up and allowing her to perch on his arm. She gave a caw and he knew she was saying somehow.

“We need to get the crowns!” she said, “They will help you overthrow him!” Patrick nodded and took her with him as he ran out of the doors. He didn't know the castle all that well, but she guided him to the Hall of History. When he got there, he found 2 of the cases to already be empty. Gone were the Spidantia and Scorxus crowns, but the keys, as well as the Deecadia and Phonicamy crowns were still there. Patrick opened the cases with the keys and took out the crowns, letting the bands hang off the crook of his arm after he had slid them on.

“They will help give more strength to Percival and give Paul a pathway to come back.” she said, “We need Paul if we are to defeat Gervasius this time.”

“Then we need to find the others. Where did they go?”

“To Scorxus.” she answered solemnly, “To the dead past Gervasius so badly wants back.”

* * *

 _“Let go of me!”_ Montresor continued to struggle in Romulus' grip. He wished the Spidantia royal spider partners weren't able to grown so big and powerful because Romulus wasn't about to let him go, not at all. And the giant spider wasn't afraid of anything or anyone except for Gervasius, Ferdinand, Tollin, and Axal. After all, the giant scorpion had a greater striking range than the tarantula did, not to mention having venom, and the giant deer could also attack from a distance with those antlers. Montresor winced as Romulus tightened his mandibles on the boy in warning, as it still hurt a bit, even as a ghost. He had to help the others, or at least warn them, though they were probably awake now and already knew. And if they crossed paths with his brother, it would be like walking into a room full of suicide. Gervasius may have just been one man, but he had taken down groups of assassins that had tried to kill him. A group of men who didn't have any training in killing or even _fighting_ wouldn't survive in the slightest, though Montresor thought some of the stronger ones might survive.

Both of them lifted their heads when they heard some noise from down the hall and Montresor took his chance. He punched Romulus in two of his eyes, causing the spider to cry out and let him go. Montresor took his chance and ran away, running to the sound to find his living friends, as well as Percival. The king scooped Montresor into his arms for a hug.

_“There you are! I was afraid-”_

_“We do not have time for this!”_ Montresor struggled a little until Percival put him back on the ground, _“Romulus is around the corner, guarding Ferdinand's room. He will be coming after me very soon.”_ His words were accompanied by a screech from the giant spider, who sounded pissed.

“What did you do to make him mad?” asked Mikey, picking up the anger in Romulus' voice.

 _“I might have irritated his eyes...”_ When Romulus skittered around the corner, two of his eight eyes were closed, though the other six were burning with hate for the younger ghost.

 _“You do realize that his eyes are his most sensitive spot, correct?”_ Percival deadpanned.

 _“Now I do!”_ Montresor hid behind the king's leg, _“Do something!”_

_“Why not you?”_

_“Romulus kidnapped me two times! I am not going near him again!”_ The giant spider hissed and raised himself up on his legs, looking ready to either strike or pounce. They had to do something quickly, otherwise Romulus was going to tear them to shreds.

 _“Wait, I have an idea.”_ Percival put his fingers to his lips and whistled, similar to the whistle he had used in the funeral but not quite. It was a low whistle and stayed that way as it went out long and haunting, sending shivers down the living men's spines. Nothing seemed to happen, though Romulus had noticeably tensed up and now looked uneasy.

 _“Why did you call for him if his ghost isn't here?”_ asked Montresor bitterly, _“I looked for him for a long time, yet there was no sign.”_

 _“You do not know that, but Romulus certainly seems to know.”_ Percival spoke, _“So perhaps he was trapped with Romulus in the same place.”_ And then Romulus reared up with a screech as something landed on his back. When he fell down again and tried to shake the thing off, they could see it was a large tarantula, like Romulus, but considerably smaller. Montresor's face lit up with happiness as he gave a cheer.

 _“Remus! You are safe!”_ The smaller ghost spider couldn't answer, trying to stay on Romulus' back, but then Romulus was thrown over their heads as something attacked him from behind. They all looked again to see a giant black deer standing there, snorting and pawing his hooves, head down with antlers out to attack. A chord of familiarity and happiness struck through Pete, though he couldn't tell exactly why.

 _“Thank you Tollin!”_ Percival turned to the living men, _“They will keep Romulus at bay for us, we must keep going!”_ And that they did, following the ghost down the hall and turning a corner, only to see...

* * *

When Frank woke up, he found an arm slung around his waist, pulling him into another person's chest. He knew the pale, tattoo-less arm, so at first he smiled, but then it dropped as his brain caught up. He turned his head to look over his shoulder, seeing Gervasius laying there, eyes closed and apparently asleep. Frank wasn't sure he was asleep, though, because the ghost was a good actor if the past day was anything to go by. Not wanting to wake the other up yet, just in case his friends got there in time, Frank looked around. The blue overhang was pulled back to show the room, which was painted in a similar deep blue color, though you couldn't see the walls much if at all because of all the scrolls and bookshelves. It caused Frank to smile, knowing Ferdinand had been as much of a bookworm as he was. And, upon looking over to the side, he saw a bottle, two wineglasses, and two bands of silver. Frank thought that the bands might be the crowns, but what was up with the bottle and the glasses? Did Gervasius plan to give him a toast before his death? And why were the crowns there?

A plan hit Frank as he remembered Gervasius said Gerard was trapped in his crown. Maybe if he could get the crown back on Gervasius' head, then Gerard could be saved. It was worth a shot at least, since he was going to die anyway if he didn't. He had almost nothing to lose except for his family. And, as he thought of them, he wondered what Gerard's family was thinking now, let alone Pete's, Patrick's, and everyone else's. They all had kids, just like Frank, who were probably wondering where their dads were and why they couldn't talk to them. Bronx and Bandit were the oldest, so they must have known something was wrong.

 _And,_ Frank wondered, _if we die, who'll know? No one's come out here to see what's wrong except Fall Out Boy, and that was out of pure luck. We told people where we were going, but no one's come._ Frank felt tears in his eyes and he thought about what would happen to his family if he died. He couldn't leave his kids without a father, he just _couldn't_. He had to get away from Gervasius and stop his insanity, once and for all, so he gently got out of the mad king's grip and quietly moved to the table. Gervasius didn't move but, as Frank looked to him, the guitarist wondered if he could do it. He wondered if he could really force the crown on the other man's head and somehow force him to give Gerard his body back. He had the means, but did he have the will? Frank didn't have much more time to dwell on it, as it was at the point Gervasius woke up.

“I see you're awake.” Gervasius gave a smile as he sat up, “How did you sleep? Was it comfortable?”

“You drugged me, what do you think?” Frank growled lowly. Gervasius only gave a shrug.

“You were never a morning person and you still aren't.” commented the older man, “But I can't let you have time to adjust much. Would you like a glass of Cabernet Severny? It's a type of wine grown here, in Russia.” As he talked, Gervasius stood up on the other side of the bed, away from Frank.

“Why do you want to give me some?”

“To celebrate your death.”

“I'm not even dead yet!”

“'Yet' being the key word.” Gervasius moved around the bed to Frank's side and opened the bottle, filling both glasses despite the guitarist's protests. The king handed Frank his glass with a smile, but the dark wine felt cold to his fingers, like death. Gervasius held up the glass, as if to give a toast, but Frank kept his by his side.

“Did you drug this too?” Frank glared at the wine.

“Nope. There's no blood in it either, if that's what you're thinking.” Gervasius, seeing that Frank wasn't going to toast with him, lowered his glass, “The blood would have made it taste so much sweeter, though.” Just the thought of drinking something mixed with blood made Frank feel sick, forcing him to swallow the feeling so he could put his plan into action. It was going to be a last-ditch effort, but what else could he do? He watched Gervasius put the glass to his lips and Frank did the same, though he kept an eye on Gervasius the whole time. Frank took a few sips, not sure how much alcohol the wine contained, and grimaced as he felt it slide down his throat. Gervasius said it wasn't drugged or anything, but Frank was sure that every drop he drank was a drop of poison. And if he wanted his plan to work, he couldn't get drunk, or at least _too_ drunk. He had never been much of a drinker because he was a fucking lightweight, all the heavier stuff had been Gerard's cup of tea. Or it used to, before he got clean. And, as Frank watched Gervasius finishing his glass, he knew that he wasn't just trying to save himself for his family anymore. He had to save his best friend too because Gerard didn't deserve this fate. No one did.

“Well? Aren't you gonna finish?” Gervasius gestured to Frank's half-full glass with his one empty one before setting it aside. He couldn't drink too much before he killed Frank, it would be a disaster if he did, so he was lucky Gerard was good with alcohol even after so long.

“How are you so calm?” Frank suddenly asked, “Most of the time I've been here, you've been a ball of rage chasing after me and wanting everyone else dead, but now it's like you've settled down. Why?”

“Because you're mine now.” Gervasius lifted a hand and rested his fingernails against Frank's jaw. The smaller man fought the urge to slap the hand away. The touch was making him think of old memories that needed to _stay_ dead and buried, so he finished the rest of his wine quickly.

“Now what?” he asked darkly, “Are you gonna stab me?”

“Not yet.” Such dark eyes that usually held anger and hate were now filled with love and happiness as Gervasius leaned over the table. Frank's composure broke when Gervasius touched his lips with his own, because those were Gerard's lips and he could never resist a kiss from his best friend. The only times he ever stopped playing guitar during performances was because of those luscious kisses. He wrapped his hands around the back of Gervasius' neck and tugged him closer, being deprived of these for so long. It had been part of the agreement with Gerard after they had both gotten married, but it had been years since they had even had the smallest kiss. Frank didn't want to let go of this moment, but he knew it wasn't right. Gerard wasn't the one kissing him, even though it felt like it, and he couldn't keep doing this without feeling like he was going against Gerard's wishes. And when he felt his shirt ride up and Gervasius place a hand on the small of his back, over his gun tattoos, Frank knew he had to end it.

“No.” Frank said after gently pushing Gervasius away, “I can't do this.”

“Why not?” The king rubbed Frank's back, running his hand over the guitarist's spine in a seductive way.

“You're not Gerard.” Frank grabbed Gervasius' wandering hand and held it away from him, “Gerard's the only one who I'd love. No matter what you do, I'd never love you.” He let go of Gervasius' hand, where the king dropped it without a fight. The king had a sad look on his face as he pulled away, disheartened.

“...I see.” he murmured, “Then please put on your crown so that we can get this over with.” Gervasius grabbed the Spidantia crown and turned his back to Frank as he put it on. The shorter man took his chance and grabbed something in his pocket before rushing forward and grabbing Gervasius' shoulders. The king didn't have time to react and, somehow, Frank touch suddenly had him in pain. It had been so long since he had felt pain that he was surprised at first, allowing his emotions to come through and screaming in pain. Frank grit his teeth and kept his hands on his best friend, trying to drive the ghost out. Gerard's body twitched and jerked, his eyes flickering between hazel and glowing red, until it was mostly hazel with only flickers of red. Gerard gave a sob as tears welled up in his eyes, happy to finally be back but saddened as well.

“Frank!” he gasped, “God, Frank...”

“You're back.” Frank smiled, glad that his plan had worked.

“Not for long.” Gerard whimpered, feeling Gervasius' rising anger and knowing he wouldn't be able to fight off the king if Gervasius came back to the surface, “Grab the dagger in my jacket pocket. You have to kill me.”

“What? No!” Frank tightened his grip, “I'm not going to kill you after getting you back!”

“You have to.” Gerard lifted a hand to rest on one of Frank's, the one holding what the guitarist had grabbed from his pocket, “He's going to kill you and everyone else with my body. If you kill me, he can't use me.”

“Just keep fighting!” Frank urged, “He's almost gone!”

“I can't.” Gerard closed his eyes, letting the tears drip down, “I'm sorry.” And then his grip suddenly tightened on Frank's hand and Gervasius was back. The king tore the younger man's hand away and took the item from his hand, throwing it away. The pain suddenly vanished and Gervasius was glaring at Frank, tightening his hand around the other's wrist as he turned around to face him. And for once, Frank felt completely terrified. It was understandable, as he had never seen the king angry except for several feet away, possibly the shortest being 7 or more feet, but there was something about the king's close-up fury that stood out this time. Gervasius was _extremely_ pissed at him and it showed. The king wasn't going to be kind this time, even if he did love Frank.

 _ **“** **That was your last chance.”**_ he spat, glancing at the gleaming cross he had thrown away, **_“I am not letting you get away again. I was going to let Gerard come to see you off before you died, but after what you did, I do not think I will.”_** He tightened his grip again, it felt like he was trying to break Frank's wrist, _**“Put your crown on, Ferdinand, so that I may save you from your insanity.”**_

“Let go of me!” Frank fought back, punching and kicking at the bigger man, but nothing seemed to affect him. It looked to the guitarist like Gervasius' possession made Gerard's body stronger and sturdier as the mad king grabbed Frank's throat.

 _ **“** **If you will not put it on,**_ **I** ** _will.”_** Gervasius grabbed the dropped Scorxus crown and, with his hand still on Frank's neck, slid it onto the other man's head. A headache was immediate as an onslaught of memories came pouring through, into his head. Frank groaned and lifted a hand to touch his forehead as Gervasius grinned in a nasty way.

 _ **“** **Y** **ou are remembering things, I can tell. I wish you had put it on before you foolishly tried to attack me, but alas. Either way, you will die, hopefully as you once were, the one I love.”**_ Gervasius gave a peck to his head.

“Wait-” Frank tried, wanting to know what all the memories meant and to save his life, but was forced back into his chair with Gervasius standing over him. The king leaned down, resting an arm on the top of the chair while the other was suddenly holding the gleaming dagger.

 _**“** **If I cannot have you,”** _ spoke Gervasius as he slid the dagger against Frank's neck, cutting deeply, **_“then I will make sure no one else can.”_ **

**__ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Gervasius' words are only in bold italics is Gerard is in his body with him, which is what happens when he puts on the crown. That's also the reason why Frank could hurt him with his touch. Andy had given the cross to Frank after they had gotten back to the library, just in case, but it didn't affect Gervasius because he was the only one in Gerard's body at the time. The cross wasn't able to try and force him out until Gerard was back in his body, having been trapped in the crown until Gervasius put it on.
> 
> 2\. Cabernet Severny IS a Russian-based wine, though it was created many centuries AFTER Gervasius created his. But, of course, I have artistic license, so it works out.
> 
> 3\. Each of the different animal partners (Remus included) each have a special whistle that they respond to. The low, haunting whistle calls Tollin but was also used to call Remus as well when he was alive.
> 
> 4\. Patrick can understand Solis like the kings and Montresor can to their animal partners because...Well, I'm not exactly sure. Reincarnation, probably.
> 
> 5\. Wearing the crowns makes the kings stronger and can store memories, which is what invades Frank's mind when Gervasius put the crown on him. They can also store spirits, as the Spidantia crown stored Gerard away.
> 
> 6\. The post above I found on Pinterest, which is sort of mentioned in this chapter.
> 
> 7\. The chapter title is a line from MCR's song The Sharpest Lives, the lines Gervasius is singing in the begining is from P!AtD's This is Gospel, and 'a room full of suicide' is a line from MCR's Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back.
> 
> I feel like this chapter is lacking for some reason, but I don't know why. Anyway, Killjoys and Youngbloods, there should be just 2 chapters left, more or less.


	19. Disenchanted

Frank gasped, trying to bring in air through all the blood and brought his hands up to stop the bleeding. However, Gervasius forced his hands away with a polite smile that bordered on psychotic.

 _**“** **I am sorry, Ferdinand, but I cannot let you survive. I will stay by your side until you die, though, just so you will not be alone. I know how it feels to die alone.”** _ Gervasius kept his dagger in between his fingers as he held one of Frank's wrists, keeping a tight hold on it as he took the dagger up closer to his face and licked the blood off. If it wasn't for the facts that 1, it was his blood on the dagger, 2, he was dying, and 3, Gervasius was the one in charge, Frank would have thought it was sexy.

 _**“** **It has been a long time since I tasted the sweetness of blood, but yours seems to be extra sweet.”** _ Gervasius gave a kiss to his forehead, **_“Alas, I will not get to taste it again once we are together, but no matter. My only concern is you. It always has been, even after your death the first time.”_ ** The madman looked up when he heard a screech outside the door and frowned.

 _ **“** ** **I** t appears Monty has escaped and the others are coming for you.”**_ Gervasius took a step away from Frank and let go, allowing Frank to try and save his throat, **_“Romulus is a sweetheart, protecting us from those vicious haters, but even he cannot hold off the entire hoard. You stay here and bleed to death while I handle them, Ferdinand.”_** Gervasius waved to Frank before leaving the room. Even though it hadn't been long since the slit, Frank already felt weak and woozy from bloodloss. Gervasius had cut deep, probably severing the artery, making sure that Frank wasn't going to survive without medical help. And he and the bands were miles from the nearest hospital, so there was no chance of that happening in the next few minutes (unless one of his friends was secretly a nurse or a doctor, and even that was very doubtful). Frank began to cry as he realized that there wasn't going to be a happy ending. Gervasius was going to kill everyone and he wouldn't get to see his family again. And, if Gervasius let Gerard out of the castle, there was no telling what the experience would do to the singer. After all, Gervarius was going to use Gerard to kill everyone, so it was likely Gerard would either try to kill himself or end up in a psychiatric ward after this if Gervasius let him live.

 _This is all my fault._ was all Frank could think as he felt his life slipping between his fingers, dripping red down his shirt, _This is all my fault..._

* * *

Percival, Montresor, and everyone else as they saw who was waiting for them. Gervasius was twirling the dagger between his fingers, leaning on the door that led to Ferdinand's room. And when they turned the corner, he looked up and smiled.

 _ **“** **Ah yes. At long last, I may end this.”**_ he pushed off the wall and stood up straight, **_“There are various ways this could end, but all of them involve your deaths, of which I am happy to supply.”_**

 _“Stand down, Gervasius.”_ Percival warned, _“We do not wish to hurt you.”_

 _**“** **Well, I very much wish to hurt you!”** _ Gervasius charged forward, ready to stab them, and the living men scattered, though it was hard to in the small width of the hallway. They may have had numbers on their side, but Gervasius was armed. They needed a plan and they didn't have one yet.

“Guys, keep him distracted.” Mikey ordered, “Pete, get out of the fight and get that sword ready!”

“I don't know how to fight with a damn sword!” argued the older bassist, though he did remove himself from Gervasius' sight by going back behind the corner of the hallway, “Filming Centuries was one thing, this is totally different!”

“It's not that hard!” Mikey spoke back, wincing as Gervasius nearly sliced Ray's side, “Think of it as a video game, swing it and hope you hit him!”

“He's your brother! I can't hurt him!”

“We don't have a choice!” Percival and Montresor were also trying to help, but they couldn't grab Gervasius long enough for the others to do something, “I hate to say this, but Gerard can sing without both hands! You have to hurt him if we stand a chance of surviving!” Pete still wasn't sure if he could actively hurt Gervasius but was saved from making the choice as Patrick arrived. Solis had moved to his shoulder as he held the two crowns in his hands.

“What the hell are you doing here?!” Pete hissed, “You need to go back to the library.”

“Not after what you showed me.” Patrick held out the Deecadia crown, “Put this on. Solis said that it'll help bring Paul here and we need him if we want to get rid of Gervasius for good.”

“Pat-”

“Do it, Pete. I think you're the only one who can bring Paul back, so you have to do it.” Pete could have argued with Mikey all day, but not Patrick. When he was mad, Patrick was a 'I'm not gonna take any of your shit' kind of guy, so it was rare when Pete argued with him. And the determined look in Patrick's eyes, believing Pete could do this, also helped a bit. So, with all that in mind, the older man closed his eyes, took the crown, and slid it on. Instantly memories began flooding his mind, causing him to wince and lean against the wall behind him, but there was also an older, more assertive presence. Pete allowed it to come to the fore, causing him to black out, and when he opened his eyes, Patrick knew he wasn't staring at his best friend anymore.

 _**“** ****A** re you ready?” ** _ asked the other man, his voice layered in stereo. Patrick put on the Phonicamy crown, causing Percival to feel drawn to him. The ghost king did and entered the singer's body, causing Patrick to black out but meeting Pete's eyes with his own.

 _**“** ****N** ow I am, old friend.” ** _ Percival smiled as he saw what could only be Paul reflected in Pete's eyes, glad to have his friend returned to him. He watched as Paul drew his sword without hesitation, the weight of it not affecting him and not afraid to hurt Gervasius if necessary.

 _ **“** ** **A** rm yourself.”**_ Paul warned, **_“He is still the better fighter, even if he is only armed with a dagger.”_**

 _**“** **Be careful.”** _ Percival warned back. Paul nodded.

_**“** ****I** will.” ** _

* * *

Gervasius was getting bored of chasing the various men around the room. He could have played with them all day if he didn't have to get back to Ferdinand, and they had absolutely no sense of tactics, so it wasn't as fun as he liked. He had heard Mikey and Pete shouting to one another about something, but he hadn't caught it and he didn't think it concerned him. As it was, he knocked over a suit of armor, causing those in its way to trip over it and stop running around. The men groaned and were helped to their feet by their collegues, but it gave Gervasius the chance to attack and kill some of them. He pounced, flying at the blond drummer and the afro-haired guitarist with his dagger held high-

 _CLANG._ Gervasius blinked as his dagger met the metal of a sword, blocking his attack. He looked to the sword's owner and saw the different look in his eyes. This wasn't Pete fighting him, this was Paul, and Paul was the only one who had ever matched Gervasius in any type of combat. The mad king frowned, slidding away to a safe distance.

 _ **“** **How nice to see you again, Paul. It has been a while since you left, has it not?”**_ he growled in anger, **_“I wish you had stayed away, but now I can exact my revenge. I saw what happened after you left our people alone, and they were defenseless! You even left Erik behind! What kind of king leaves his entire past behind to be mauled by a greater war machine?”_**

 _ **“** **One who has a lot of things to do to fix what he has done.”**_ Paul held the sword in both hands, staring down Gervasius, **_“I am not proud of what I did, but I wish to fix things. If you will stand down and release Gerard, then I will not be drastic.”_**

 _ **“** **Drastic? You say you will be drastic!”**_ Gervasius gave a bark of laughter, **_“It as if you think that_ I _am trapped with_ you _! No, Paul, it is_ you _who is trapped with_ ME _!”_** Gervasius attacked again, stabbing and dodging quickly with Gerard's body, causing Paul to block each of the blows but not get a hit in. He was good most of the time, but did get hit a few times on an arm or leg, though it was nothing serious. He also knew Gervasius was just trying to wear him down, but that was almost impossible. With the powers of the crowns, the bodies the kings controlled wouldn't get tired or hungry or sleepy, but it didn't prevent them from dying. After all, these men were still mortals. And it was at that moment, during one of Paul's blocks, Gervasius flicked the dagger, causing the sword to veer away from Pete's body leaving it exposed. Gervasius stabbed at his stomach, but then his arm was grabbed and threw him off-course. The mad king turned to see Percival there, armed with a halberd in one hand. The youngest king had never known any sort of hateful feelings until now, as he glared at Gervasius, who backed up, now faced with two kings instead of one. The muscles in his face twitched anxiously, the only sign that he was nervous, even though it was slight. Percival and Paul knew this tic of Gervasius' well and advanced, forcing him back as he twirled the dagger in a calm-like motion.

 _**“** **Enough of this foolishness, Gervasius.”** _ spoke Percival, **_“Stand down and surrender.”_ **

_**“** **Not yet. I will not surrender until all of you are dead and Ferdinand is mine!”** _ Paul and Percival knew Gervasius' tactic of drawing others in close before attacking with surprising speed, but even they didn't know how fast he was when he charged forward. Gervasius stabbed Paul's shoulder and twisted the sword out of his hand, doing the same to Percival before they could recover, and now he was standing against them, grinning widely while their weapons were on the floor behind him. He then began walking forward, forcing them to walk back, and he grinned wider as he could see the fear in their eyes.

 _**“** **It has been much too long since I have been on the hunt. Now, stay still so I may kill you!”** _ Gervasius was about to runforward once again when he felt hands grab him from behind and tug him away. He snarled, turning on his heels, wanting to stab whoever had grabbed him, but found he wasn't in Gerard's body anymore. He had been pulled outside of Gerard (who was slumped to the floor behind him) and was now facing the ghost of Ferdinand, who looked very, very pissed.

 _“Ferdinand...”_ This has to have been a dream, he had gotten his wish to come true at last! But Gervasius didn't have much time to be happy as he was slapped on both sides of the face one at a time by the shorter king in front of him. He had been slapped by Ferdinand before when the younger king found him doing something he shouldn't, but it was a shock to have it happen again for when Gervasius was doing nothing wrong.

_“Fer-”_

_“Do not speak to me in that voice, Gervasius.”_ snapped Ferdinand, interrupting the other, _“I have watched what you have done and I can see that you have become a terrible, dirty shadow of yourself. The Devil would give you his throne if you ever went to Hell, I can see that clearly in my mind.”_

 _“But Ferdinand, I did this all for you!”_ Gervasius spoke, _“And now that you are here, we can be together again!”_ Gervasius was once again slapped by Ferdinand.

 _“You are wrong, Gervasius. I am so disgusted with you that I can barely be in your presence now. You have done horrific things to people who did not deserve them and you have tried to kill these men because you wanted me back. All of this has revolved around me, and I can see that you have become so obsessed nothing matters to you anymore. I remember that you were once kind and considerate, but after my death, I found you torturing and killing not only your own people, but mine as well. How dare you!”_ Gervasius was slapped again, so hard that he had to take a step back, _“You became their king and swore an oath to protect my people, but I saw what you did! You were cracked beyond repair after my death and even now you cannot be fixed!”_

_“I-”_

_“DO NOT SPEAK UNTIL I AM FINISHED!”_ Gervasius flinched at the roar and kept his head down as Ferdinand continued to berate him, _“You stole my child from the woman I loved and killed her because you were jealous that I loved someone else that was not you! I have tried to come back several times to stop you, but I was not able to until you tried to kill the kind man in the room beside us! Have you forgotten why you were made king? You were made king so that you may protect your kingdom and your subjects, not so that you may join me and continue your killing spree! After my death, I learned what you did to Montresor and your parents, and that disgusts me as much as everything else. You loved me so much you wanted them out of the way so you could take the throne faster. If Elena had not died when she did, I am sure you would have had her murdered as well, if not by your own hand!”_ F erdinand, who had been leaning into Gervasius' taller body, took a step back, _“You are not worthy to even be called an animal, Gervasius. You are a monster that should have died when you were born. Why did God ever let you live if He knew the destruction you would cause?”_ The last part seemed to be a mutter Ferdinand made to himself, but it was loud enough for everyone else to hear.

 _“...”_ Gervasius was silent, but from the way he was shuddering, the living men wondered if he was crying, _“...Then you do not love me?”_

 _“I did before I learned the truth. You do not deserve love from anyone, you do not even deserve the sweet release of death. You were condemned to haunt this place so that you might learn a lesson, but it seems you will never learn it. Hurting others to win someone else's love is not the path to go, Gervasius.”_ Ferdinand's face softened as he gave a sigh, _“Have you ever heard the saying, 'If you love something, let it go'? You loved me, but you could not let go of me, even after death, and that was your downfall. Your love for me was your undoing, but I pity you now. My rage has been qunched by my rant, but not my anger. I will never be happy with you again after what you have done, and you will never see me again.”_

 _“What?”_ Gervasius looked up and his eyes were wide, _“You are leaving me again?!”_

_“Not quite. You are going to pass on , but while I will go back to Heaven when I move on, you will surely go to Hell. I will not come to visit you, I will let the Devil do wtih you as he likes, and not having to ever see me again seems to be the greatest punishment for you that I can imagine.”_

_“NO! YOU WILL NOT LEAVE ME AGAIN, I WILL NOT ALLOW IT!”_ A large gale picked up, blowing through the hall and knocking all the standing living men off their feet, _“I have worked too hard to see you again, I will not let you leave!”_

 _“You are not the one making choices!”_ Ferdinand held up a hand and the wind stopped. Not only that, but a giant scorpion suddenly appeared at his side, _“Your ability to make a choice is going to be taken away from you because you do not deserve it. Everyone has that ability, but you have abused it and have killed so many because of the choices you made, so you will be confined and chained to Hell forever. Axal will see to it that you do as you are told on the way there.”_

_“Romulus-”_

_“-has already been taken by Tollin and Remus.He escaped Hell to be with you again, but it will not happen a second time, now that those two are escorting him.Please go quietly and do the same.”_ Gervasius looked like he wanted to argue, wanted to fight and kick and scream until he got what he wanted, but then he fell to his knees and an air of defeat radiated off of him as thick as fog. Even the living men could feel it and they knew that things were finally over.

 _“Only for you, Ferdinand, will I do this.”_ Gervasius spoke quietly with an undercurrent of anger, possibly at the other king or something else no one knew, _“You may not love me any more, but I still love you.”_ Ferdinand stared at Gervasius for a few moments before turning to Axal and nodding. The scorpion trotted forward and closed his pincers around Gervasius' forearms, then they were gone. Ferdinand stood there for a few moments, staring at the place where Gervasius had been then went to Gerard's side to help the dazed man to his feet. Gerard flinched at the ghostly touch bu didn't fight it, standing on shaking legs while Ferdinand held him up.

“Is...” Gerard's voice was hoarse from all the shouting and yelling Gervasius had made him do, “Is Frank really okay?”

 _“He is. He was near death when I came to him, but God gave me the power to save his life, to at least fix one of Gervasius' mistakes.”_ Slowly, the other bandmembers came over, Percival and Paul shedding their crowns and letting Pete and Patrick come back. Both stumbled as they suddenly came back to consciousness but were helped by their own ghostly counterparts. And, as the three ghosts stood close together, the men noticed that Percival was short (about the same height as Patrick) compared to the others. Ferdinand was actually slightly taller than Gerard and Paul was at least a head taller than Pete, so how had they not noticed this before? Especially with Gervasius? In fact, how tall was Gervasius? They would never know now that the mad king was gone.

“...It's over?” Andy questioned quietly, not sure if he should raise his voice and break the atmosphere. Things felt too good to be true, honestly, after the hectic days they've had.

 _“Yes.”_ Paul nodded, _“Things are over now.”_ He looked remarkably like Pete did without the blond hair, but his clothes were drastically different. All of his clothes were black, even the inside of his cape was black, and the only color on his outfit was the gray fur around the collar of the cape, the gold lines on his boots that formed the shape of deer, and the silver deer head-embossed bracers on his forearms. Even his ruffled dress shirt underneath was a deep black, making him as emo as emo could be in Medieval times apparently.

 _“It has been too long,”_ Montresor spoke, _“since I have finally felt safe.”_

 _“It has been too long since I have been free.”_ Percival added.

 _“And it has been too long since I have last been here.”_ Paul continued, ghostly tears in his eyes, _“I am sorry for all that I have done. I should have gone to Hell, yet I somehow ended up in Heaven, which was somehow worse, especially when none of you were around.”_

 _“We forgive you.”_ Ferdinand spoke, _“I understand your reasons and I do not blame you. You were grief-striken and did not think you could go on. Yet you went on to lead Russia away from here for as long as you could, so I would say that you were still a great man.”_

 _“You led our enemies?”_ Percival asked, surprised.

 _“I tried to keep them away from my home after I recovered. I was too ashamed to return and I made a name for myself there, so I continued to do what I could until I died. But I still carry my shame as wounds on my person, for nothing can repair what I did to our people.”_ Paul hung his head.

 _“Well, as Ferdinand said, we forgive you.”_ Montresor hugged him, trying to cheer him up, though the ghostly boy only could reach his waist. Percival did the same, and it was too much for Paul, causing him to cry as he hugged back.

 _“I do not deserve this!”_ he sobbed, _“I do not deserve all of this forgiveness!”_

 _“Your friends think otherwise.”_ Ferdinand joined the hug and the living men hug back, smiling at the ghosts' reunion.

* * *

When Frank woke up, he expected to see Gervasius hovering over him, ready to take him away from the mortal world and to another crazy place or something. But nope, when he opened his eyes, he found himself to still be breathing with no hurt to his throat and his friends were around him, waiting for him to wake up. There was a small reunion of MCR (while Patrick retrieved his necklace and Ferdinand healed his injuries and Pete's with just a touch, like he had done to Frank, which had happened after the guitarist passed out) and Frank met his ghostly counterpart where they all then caught each other up on what had happened until that point.

“...and that's it.” Joe finished, then looked to the ghosts, “By the way, what happened to Erik?”

 _“He grew up and he defended his people.”_ Ferdinand smiled, _“I finally got to talk with him after he died, though I watched over him from above. He was a Spidantia tactician, a charismatic Deecadian, a great Phonicamy healer, and had the leadership qualities of a Scorxusian. The Russians came here after he died, but many wanted him to become king. He wouldn't accept it, though he did lead everyone spectacularly until his death. But there is also something else that I wish to tell you.”_ he looked to Paul, _“Do you also wish to share? I can do it if you do not feel up to it.”_

 _“No, I can do it.”_ Paul continued _,_ _“I had a son while with the Russians and he continued to lead the empire as it got stronger. The centuries passed, and both of our descendants moved to America, becoming part of your bloodlines, I believe.”_

“Wow. So we really are related, huh?” Pete asked, sitting beside Patrick. On the singer's other side was Solis, who was sandwiched between him and Percival, who was worried about his injured partner.

“That just makes things all the more cooler!” Frank grinned, “We're both part Russian and we're royalty! So cool!”

“What about Mikey, Patrick and I? Are we related to Percival and Gervasius at all?” Gerard asked, hoping they weren't. He wouldn't like to be ralated to the mad king at all.

 _“No. You only look like us out of coincidence, I believe, possibly out of reincarnation.”_ Percival said, _“That is why we can only inhabit your bodies, because of our connections. For example, I can only inhabit Patrick's body, I cannot inhabit Andy's or Frank's because I am not connected to either of them.”_

“It's getting dark outside.” Ray was looking through the only window to Ferdinand's room, “Looks like we'll have to stay one more night.” They all shuddered at the thought they had to stay one more night in this crazy place.

 _“We will watch over you, just in case.”_ Montresor said, _“We will also see you off before we move on. It is the least we can do, after what you have been through.”_ Gerard shivered at the thought of having the ghosts around, causing Mikey to put a hand on his shoulder.

“Things are going to be okay, Gee.” he whispered, “None of them are Gervasius and if he come back, we'll take him down again.”

“I know, just...I'm scared. I don't want it to happen again.”

“It won't.” Frank joined in on the conversation, also in a whisper, “Let's sleep together tonight just to keep an eye on each other, okay?” Frank wasn't sure why he had offered, with his mind full of old memories of what they used to have between them, but when Gerard nodded, Frank knew he couldn't back out on his offer.

“Also, there was something I noticed when I put my crown on.” Patrick said, “I saw some of your memories, I guess, but there were only two. Did you guys see the same?”

“I only saw two.”

“Me too.”

“Same.” chorused Gerard, Pete, and Frank.

“But they had a bit of a pattern, I think.” Frank turned to the ghosts, “The crowns recorded your happiest and saddest memories, didn't they?”

 _“Yes.”_ Ferdinand gave a sad nod, _“And we shared those memories, too. Gervasius' and my memories are the same, as are Percival's and Paul's, mostly.”_

“What were they?” Bob asked, curious.

“Well...” Pete thought back.

* * *

_It was Percival's coronation and Paul didn't think he could get any happier. His best friend was going to join him in being a king! Of course, the job would be taxing and hard, but Paul was excited nonetheless. He watched with a smile as Percival came into the room, wearing his ceremonial clothes with facepaint that made him look more boyish than he already was. The new king walked through the crowd of the throne room and over to Gervasius, who stood just in front of the Phonicamy throne. Paul and Ferdinand were sitting in their own thrones, watching in wonder, though Gervasius looked considerably bored despite his blank face. And when Percival reached Gervasius, he knelt, nervous energy flowing through him._

_“Rise, Percival Merlin Viktor Sokolov.” Gervasius spoke his full name with just a slight hit of excitement in his monotonous voice, “You are about to take the responsibilities of your kingdom, Phonicamy, onto your shoulders. Do you believe that you are the best choice for king?” Percival rose and met Gervasius' eyes._

_“I honestly do not believe I am the best choice, but many believe I am, so I will take the position in their honor and lead to the best of my ability.” Gervasius smiled._

_“Excellent. A good king must be humble, after all. Remember that you will not lead alone, Percival, if you do become king. Ferdinand, Paul, and I will be leading alongside you and are happy to help you if you need it.” The older king reached over and took the crown Phonicamy from a plush black pillow one of the servants was holding, “If you are ready to take the responsibilities of being a king, please kneel once again.” Percival hesitated, not quite sure he was ready to be a true king in place of his mother, but as he looked over to the other two kings (mostly Paul), he knew he couldn't back down. There was no one else who wanted to lead in his place and so many believed in him. He had to do this. So, with that in mind, he knelt and Gervasius put the crown on his head. He was now king of Phonicamy and a cheer rose up from the crowd, happy that they now had a new king._

* * *

_“_ Это удар моего сердца, это удар моего сердца... _”_ _Percival sung softly as he held Erik in his arms. It was the night after Gervasius had died and the boy had cried himself to sleep with the knowledge that he would never see his uncle again. Percival, filled with guilt, had gone to sing the boy to sleep. The unused lyrics for the main ballroom song_ Это Евангелие _were what he was singing, feeling horrible for leaving the boy without someone to raise him. After all, Erik had only been at the castle for two summers and was still young, too young to keep living without a mother or father._

_“Percival?” someone whispered quietly. The Phonicamy king lowered his voice slightly as he looked up to see Paul standing in the doorway to Erik's room. Percival finished the song and tucked Erik into bed before going over to join the other king._

_“It is not your fault.” was the first thing Paul said once the door was closed._

_“I killed Gervasius, his caretaker. I am glad we stopped Gervasius' reign of madness, but I left Erik without a parent. That makes me a horrible person.”_

_“You were only doing the right thing.” Paul argued, “Erik was unfortunately caught up in all of this.”_

_“It is still my fault.” Percival would hear no more, walking away and leving Paul to stand alone outside of Erik's door._

* * *

_Paul could not stop himself from crying once he let the first tears through, sitting on his bed alone in his room. His best friend was gone and he was expected to lead four different kingdoms all at the same time. He could not do it, not without the one he loved. Yes, he was in love with Percival, but now his best friend and one love was gone. Was this how Gervasius felt when Ferdinand died? Paul guessed it was, because he had known that Gervasius loved Ferdinand._

_“Sire, what will you do now?” Paul looked up from his crying to see the helpful Eva in front of him. She had been his advisor since he had become king and was now gazing at him with pity, wondering what his next decision would be._

_“I...” Paul struggled to keep his voice from breaking, “I do not know. I do not believe I can go on like this. I cannot lead as king any longer.”_

_“But what of the kingdoms? They need you more than ever now, as well as Erik.”_

_“I cannot do this, Eva. Prepare to write a proclamation.” Eva nodded though her face was contorted with worry, bringing out a bottle of ink, a quill, and some parchment. Because there was no desk around or any other writing surface, she sat on the floor and took out a wooden slab to write on._

_“I, Paul Lazarus Kadaver Williamson the 15th, declare myself to no longer be king. But, for my last requests, I ask that the histories of Phonicamy, Spidantia, and Scorxus will be preserved. Deecadia's history must be hidden moreso than the other three, to that point that no one will be able to find much about it. I also commission more tapestries to be put up, detailing the rise and fall of the kings of Four Corners. That is all.” Paul took off his crown and laid it beside him, on the large pillow at the top of his bed._

_“Of course, sire.” Eva stood up once she was finished, putting all the supplies in a small bad that she carried, “And what of young Erik?”_

_“I will make that decision when I come to it, Eva. Leave me.” The woman nodded, bowing before she left the room, leaving Paul alone with his grief once again._

* * *

Upon comparing the two different memories of the end, Pete and Patrick weren't surprised about how the two kings remembered different versions of sadness. After all, Paul had lived on after Percival died, so it was understandable that the king of Deecadia would have a memory of sadness mourning his best friend. Then Frank shared the memories he had seen with Gerard noddling along at points.

* * *

_Gervasius was both happy and nervous as he waited to officially make Ferdinand a king. He had not known the elder Lady Idonis all that long, being Ferdinand's mother, but he didn't care. All he was glad of was that Ferdinand would be joining him as king. He looked to the two others royals, Percival's mother and Paul, and tried to keep calm. He could do this, he could make his best friend a king then have Ferdinand see sense and fall in love with him._

_The ceremony was very much the same as Percival's , except with Ferdinand in Percival's place, the Xs painted over his eyes and making them stand out. Though, of course, Gervasius thought they already stood out enough as it is without the paint. The king of Spidantia then said his speech and crowned Ferdinand, trying not to let his hands shake as they barely touched the younger man's head. As the crowd cheered and people broke off for the festivities,Gervasius stared at his hands and smiled. He would be getting chances to touch his best friend even more are the years wore on, he knew, and he couldn't wait to spend the rest of his life with the one he loved._

* * *

_“Where is he?!” Gervasius roared, leapting off his horse before it had come to a stop. The Scorxus camp had an air of sadness and heartache holding over it and Gervasius hated it. It confirmed what he already knew, that Ferdinand was dying, and his best friend might have been dead already for all he knew!_

_“Hello, sir.” Scorxus' high priest, a brown-haired man named Alexei, came over to greet him, “Ferdinand is this way.” Gervasius followed, his posse of priests racing to catch up. They walked through the camp that looked just fine, but felt like it had been desolated by their enemies. Finally, they came to the largest tent, Ferdinand's tent, and Gervasius rushed in. The younger king was surrounded by his advisors and those close to him in his kingdom but not his partner as he laid on his bed, pale and weak. A large cough wracked his body and blood flecked up between his lips. He didn't have much longer, anyone could see that._

_“Ferdinand!” Gervasius rushed to his side, wrapping a hand around one of Ferdinand's own. It felt too weak, much too weak and nearly sent Gervasius into a panic right then and there. Slowly, achingly slow, Ferdinand turned his head to look at him, smiling weakly._

_“You came. I...wish you hadn't, but I digress. You are...stubborn as ever.”_

_“You are not dying! You will be saved! Angelicus!” Gervasius shouted over his shoulder to the Spidantia high priest. Angelicus entered, ducking so that he could fit in the tent, and went over to the two kings, “Heal him!”_

_“...I cannot.”_

_“Of course you can! You are a priest, you have the power!”_

_“I talked with Alexei, my king, but Ferdinand is too far gone to be healed.” the priest flinched at the glare he was getting, “I am very sorry.”_

_“Gervasius.” The Spidantia king looked down at the call to Ferdinand, “Do not be angry...with him. He has done...nothing wrong.”_

_“He cannot heal you!” Gervasius roared, “Of course I am angry! You are dying in my hands and there is nothing I can do!”_

_“Calm yourself.” Ferdinand spoke, sounding stronger than he felt, “Do not grieve for me. I am...no one compared to my people.” He coughed again, more blood coming from between his lips, “Gervasius, you must promise me something.”_

_“Yes?” The older king leaned closer to hear what Ferdinand had to stay._

_“Have mercy...to those who...oppose you.” his voice was weaker, that was a bad sign, “Not everyone...is as bad as...they seem. Not even you. I sometimes see...you have a...heart of tarnished gold. Please, keep living...and forget me. Your...people need you.”_

_“I cannot go on without you!” Gervasius had tears rolling down his face, unable to stop them, “Do not leave me, please!”_

_“I am sorry.” Ferdinand whispered, “I...love you.”_

_“I love you too.” Gervasius whispered back. Through the talk Gervasius had moved Ferdinand into his arms and continued to hold the other man as his life slowly ended, the light in his eyes extinguishing. And Gervasius was crying the whole time, he wouldn't even let go of Ferdinand's body when others tried to convince him to do it. It took a lot of coaxing from Angelicus to make Gervasius let go, but that was only physically. Mentally, he would never let go, and everyone knew it. They weren't sure it was a good thing, though._

* * *

After the stories, everyone was trying to find where they would go to bed. It would be pairs or, in Gerard, Mikey, and Frank's case, trios. The ghosts left them alone to their privacy, though they weren't sure about Gerard. The man had been quiet since finally being released and no one was sure what to do to make him talkative and happy again. And when he suddenly disappeared, they panicked. They wanted to search the castle until Ferdinand stopped them.

 _“Leave him be.”_ spoke the king, _“He needs time to adjust, to get used to being free again and not fleeing in terror. He will return when he is ready.”_

“But-!” Mikey tried to speak. Ferdinand held up a hand.

_“Michael, I am only saying this because I believe it is for the best. If he does not return in two hours, the other ghosts and I will look for him.”_

“...” Mikey stared at him with increduality, but backed off. Elsewhere, Gerard was fine. He had just gone to the room he had stayed in the first night to grab something from his bag and was now looking for a bathroom. As he passed through the hallways, he could see his reflection in suits of armor. The reflection wasn't his own, though, it continued to grin and laugh at him as if he was the funniest thing in the world. It reminded him of what he was, what he almost became.

 _I'm a monster, I'm a monster, I'm a monster..._ repeated over and over again in Gerard's head, as well as the voice of Gervasious, so similar to his own voice, _You are a killer, no one thinks of you well, they all believe you will kill them in your sleep._ It was torturous rambling that followed him all the way to the bathroom. It was small for a bathroom with a large mirror over the sink, showing him what he looked like. He was harried and haggard, looking like he had just seen a ghost and pale beyond measure. But that wasn't the only thing that he saw in the reflection. Slowly, it began to grin back at him, mocking him, showing him that Gervasius was not gone. At least, in his mind he wasn't. And, with an angry yell, Gerard punched the mirror to pieces with his right hand. It cut his knuckles, but he didn't care. He glared at the mirror as it cracked and shattered from his punches, destroying the image that would haunt his mind for a while, if not forever: himself.

 _I have to get rid of him._ thought Gerard, holding the bottle of red hair dye tightly in his free hand, _I'm going to be Party Poison again and Gervasius isn't going to hurt me or anyone else. He's gone and I've got to make sure it stays that way._ He then put the dye into his black hair and changed its color, which he had done so often it was almost second nature to him. He didn't have any bleach on hand, but he had gotten some hair dye that worked well with dark hair, so it was still coming out red. He watched the red dye mix with the blood on his right hand and imagined it to be his friends' blood. He watched it go down the water drain and knew that, if things had gone differently, he could be doing this elsewhere but with real blood on his hands. Looking back up at the cracked reflection as he finished, he wondered if he should cut his hair as well, but he had nothing to cut it with on his person, so he didn't. He just washed his hands of the dye and took the bottle of dye with him as he returned to his friends. And when they saw him again, as first they couldn't recognize him but in seconds they did and they hugged him, berating him for scaring them, and he took it in stride. He had done worse things to scare them, he knew. And when they saw the cuts on his hand, they wanted Ferdinand to heal it.

“No.” Gerard shook his head, “Let it bleed. I deserve it.”

“No you don't.” Ray shook his head, “You didn't do anything to deserve it.”

“Just leave it be.” Gerard said.

“Fine, but at least let us bandage it, you bastard.” Frank spoke. Gerard allowed it, if albeit grudgingly, and soon they were all going to bed.

* * *

Frank found himself waking up in the middle of the night, though he didn't know why. He was on his side, facing away from Gerard and Mikey. They were all sharing the bed in Ferdinand's room, at it was one of the few beds big enough to hold the three of them. Their friends slept nearby in servant quarters and could come at a moment's notice if something was wrong. Frank sat up and looked around, trying to figure out what had woken him up. He ran a hand through his hair, or what was left of it, and looked at the Way brothers. Mikey was on the side, like him, and they had Gerard between them. Mikey was snoring away, turned away from Frank and Gerard, but things weren't so happy with the red-headed singer. Gerard was whimpering and there were tears running down his face in his sleep.

 _He's having a nightmare._ Frank realized, then went to quietly comfort his friend. He laid back down and draped his arm over Gerard's side from behind, letting his hand rest on the singer's stomach. It was warm in the castle, so neither was wearing a shirt and Frank could feel Gerard's cool, pale skin easily. The touch of his hand made the singer flinch at first, but as Gerard's hand found Frank's, the guitarist knew his friend was calming down. Gerard stopped crying and quieted, only to make a small happy sound as he grabbed Frank's hand and snuggled closer to his friend, pressing up against him. Frank smiled, brought the cover over Gerard's body, and closed his eyes, trying to go back to sleep. It was going to take some effort to help Gerard through this, not to mention the rest of them, but Frank was sure they could survive. He just wished that, maybe in a different universe, he didn't have to feel like he was doing something he shouldn't as Gerard cuddled into him.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Sokolov is a Russian last name and means soon of Sokol, which in turn in Czech for 'falcon.'
> 
> 2\. Who's who:  
> Erik = Miles  
> Mary = Megan  
> Jiera = Jamia  
> Eva = Elisa  
> Alexei = Alex Gaskarth (not as good as the others but oh well)  
> Angelicus = Andy Biersack  
> Raphael = Ronnie Radke
> 
> 3\. You can buy hair dye that works with dark hair so you don't have to bleach it, which is what Gerard got.
> 
> 4\. The picture above is from DeviantArt, Stay this way forever (by GHOULISHGLOW). It's been a strong guider to how this story should end, ever since I saw it, though the story doesn't exactly depict it. Close enough, though.
> 
> 5\. Это Евангелие = This is Gospel (Russian)  
> Это удар моего сердца, это удар моего сердца = This is the beat of my heart, this is the beat of my heart (Russian)  
> Got this from Google Translate, but tell me if it's wrong.
> 
> 6\. The chapter title is from MCR's song Disenchanted.
> 
> There will be an Epilogue after this, but this is the end of the story. Until the next installment, of course. I hope you Youngbloods and Killjoys liked it, because I certainly did, and i I messed something up or didn't explain something, tell me and I'll fix it or change an AN to tell you. Anyway, see you later!


	20. Dead On Arrival where we discuss The Pros And Cons Of Breathing with The Patron Saint Of Liars And Fakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue, where things are finished and another story begins, though one loose end can't be tied up so easily.

The next morning, their phones were working again and they had to answer various calls from their friends, family, and even managers. Everyone had been so worried about them and hadn't known where they'd gone, even though the bands had told them they were going to Four Corners. It was strange at the very least.

“Where have you been?!” Lyn-Z was pissed at Gerard, he knew for sure, but he guessed she wasn't cussing him out right now because Bandit might be in the room somewhere.

“I'm sorry I haven't called. We all got stuck in this weird place for a week, but we're safe. Fall Out Boy's with us too, if you want to call them and make sure.”

“I'm sure you're really gonna get it when you get home!” Gerard winced.

“Look, if you want, we can cancel the tour as it is and head back. We haven't missed anything, but Fall Out Boy's a week behind thanks to us.” Now that he thought about it, he felt bad and selfish that FOB had come to help. MCR had taken them away from their tour for no good reason except to nearly get killed, and that wasn't fair at all.

“No.” Lyn-Z's response was immediate, “You have fans who have been waiting to see you for a while, you can't just back out on them after going missing for a week. It wouldn't be fair to them.”

“But-”

“Here, if I can't convince you, Bandit will. Sweetie?” There was some shuffling until the almost-9-year-old was put on the line, “Daddy?”

“Hey, B.” Gerard was instantly smiling when he heard her voice, which at times he thought he would never hear again, “How's it going at home?”

“Good, but I miss you.”

“I know, sweetie, I'm planning on heading home soon.”

“Don't do that!” Bandit argued, “Mommy says that you wouldn't be making all your fans happy if you did!”

“But I left you guys in the dark for a week already. I don't want to be apart from you any longer.”

“We missed you, Daddy, but a lot of other people will miss you a lot more than us. We'll be fine.” Gerard thought over his daughter's words for a second.

“...Alright. We'll go on with the tour, but only if your uncles want to.”

“Yay! Thanks, Daddy!” Gerard smiled.

“You're welcome, Lady B. Can I talk to Mommy again real quick?”

“Sure!” There was some more shuffling and then Lyn-Z was talking again, “So, she convinced you?”

“Yeah, thanks to you.” Gerard dropped his smile, “Lins, I really do want to head home, though. This week was supposed to be a vacation, but a lot of things happened.” he ran a hand through his red hair, “Really bad things.”

“Like what?” she asked, now curious.

“You wouldn't believe me if I told you.”

“Try me.”

“Well, we got trapped in this old castle/hotel for a week because there was a murderous ghost in here who wanted us all dead.”

“...Huh. Not as weird as some other things you've told me, but I can believe it.” she said quietly, “And you finally escaped?”

“Yeah.” Gerard took a shuddering breath, trying to block out the memories that threatened to invade his mind, “But, now that I think about it, maybe I shouldn't go home. I don't want you and Bandit to see me like this. I'm gonna be having nightmares for I don't know how long and I might just chase you guys away from me. I don't wanna do that to you or Bandit, so maybe you're right. Not only should we go on for the fans, but maybe the tour will help me get over this.”

“Gerard-”

“I love you and I know what you're gonna say, but no. I'll be fine. Bye.” Gerard hung up before Lyn-Z could continue arguing, giving a long sigh. It had been nerve-wracking, but at least he knew his family was safe. And when he looked to the others who had also finished up, he wondered if he really could keep going on the tour. It had been hell after the Paramour, but they had stuck together then. This was just like it, right? They would help him get through this, just like they helped him with his drinking and addictions in their early years. They could survive this.

“What did they say?” Frank asked, sitting beside him. They had all moved to the library again to finish calling their families and friends. FOB was taking a bit longer, with all the friends they had made calling and the guys wanting to call back and assure them that no, they were certainly not dead (though they really could have been at times during the adventure).

“They said to keep going with the tour.” Gerard spoke, “What about you guys?”

“Same.” Bob nodded.

“I want to go back and see my little girl and wife, but maybe it's for the best if we keep touring, like we planned.” Mikey added.

“We could just as easily go back home, even after they told us to keep going, but we don't want to.” Ray continued.

“Why?” Gerard asked, “I thought you guys might have wanted to go back home after all this.”

“Well, you're the main reason we're not going home.” Frank said, “We think it'd be best if all of us kept touring so we can calm down about what happened. And, if we keep touring, we might be with FOB, who need as much comfort as we do to get over this.”

“I guess...” Gerard wasn't so sure, but he was glad for the decision, that the others were looking out for him.

“Finally!” Pete sighed after he finished the last call, collapsing next to MCR on one of the table benches, “I love them all to death, but there are so many of them!”

“So, are you guys gonna keep touring?” asked Bob as the rest of FOB came over.

“Looks like it.” Andy nodded, “Though we're gonna be behind because of this, we're gonna keep going.”

“I told Elisa that we'd be having a new addition to the family, too.” Patrick said, stroking Solis, “I think she thinks it's a new dog or cat, but she and Declan are going to be surprised...”

“Why are we taking her back with us, anyway?” Joe asked.

 _“Perhaps because I asked?”_ They all jumped when Percival came over to join them. The ghosts had not gone yet and would not until they were sure the bands had left for good.

“God, don't do that!” growled Mikey.

 _“I am sorry, but I asked Patrick to take Solis in because she can stay here no longer. She can survive without food or water, but I do not wish her to be trapped her for a long time once again, especially once all of us are gone.”_ Percival rested a hand on Solis' back, _“I cannot bear for her to go through being alone once more, as it would be too much like mine own imprisonment.”_

“Besides, she's not that much a hasstle.” Patrick said.

“I still think she hates me.” Pete argued.

“No she doesn't.” Patrick turned to the phoenix, “Do you, Solis?” She gave a happy trill and nuzzled his chest, winning him over. Pete didn't believe it for a second, thinking she was just sucking up to him to get on Patrick's good side.

“That reminds me of something you said yesterday.” the bassist continued, “You sort of said you could understand her. Is that because of your reincarnation status too or what?”

 _“Possibly.”_ Percival nodded, _“Though it does not have to be because of that. Only certain special people can understand a phoenix, such as myself and Montresor. Though he was born to the Spidantia throne, he could understand Solis.”_

“That reminds me of something else.” Andy said, “What happened to the other people who stayed here, running the place?”

 _“Oh, you do not know?”_ Montresor came over, having overheard, _“They never existed.”_

“What do you mean?” An uneasy feeling was settling over the two bands once again and they didn't like it.

 _“Gervasius killed them years ago and used them as an illusion to show that this place was still running. No one has truly worked here in 20 years.”_ Despite all that had happened before, that was the thing that made the bands faint. Solis squawked and clumsily flew/jumped to the table so she wouldn't be crushed by a fainted Patrick, huffing at the men in anger.

 _“Did I kill them?!”_ Montresor panicked.

_“I am sure they only passed out. They must not have known that the people they saw were only illusions, though I wonder why this is the first time they happened to pass out, after all they had gone through.”_

* * *

Later, after everyone had woken up again and freaked out (“THEY WEREN'T REAL?! FUCK!”), they headed to the Hall of History to show FOB the portrait of Percival and Paul. Ferdinand and Paul joined them, the three kings staring at their portraits as both were revealed.

“You guys really weren't kidding about the similarities.” Joe voiced, “You can see it in the ghosts, but this really puts it out there.”

“Yeah.” Gerard muttered as he stared uncomfortably at Gervasius, who seemed to smile back at him. Gee shuddered slightly at the illusion, masking it by pretending he was cold and bringing his jacket closer to his body.

 _“These were made shortly after I became king.”_ Percival spoke, _“We were an entire set of new kings, so people wanted to commemorate us.”_

 _“I wish we had seen the truth before then.”_ Paul said, _“Then I would not have to see the face of the man who I once thought was a good friend.”_

 _“Either way, I have some requests to ask of you all.”_ Ferdinand turned to the bands, _“The first is if you will help to donate all of this, all of our history and our objects, to a history museum or possibly open this place again to the public. Now that Gervasius is gone, there will be no danger and people will be free to live here. My other request is to ask if you will keep the crowns with you.”_

“Why? What good will it do us?” asked Andy.

 _“So that we may keep in touch.”_ Ferdinand said, _“But if you wish not to, that is fine as well.”_

“I think it might be best if we left them behind.” Patrick said, putting the Phonicamy crown in the glass case it belonged to, “I'd love to talk to you guys, but there's always a chance these might get stolen while with us. Besides, I don't think some of us are comfortable with keeping these after what happened.” The FOB singer glanced over to the MCR singer, though everyone knew what he meant without having to see his look. In turn, Frank, Pete, and Gerard also put the crowns back, Gerard being last. And after shutting the case, his hand rested on the glass for a moment, just like it had in _Helena_. The guys wondered what he could be thinking, but they didn't ask.

“By the way,” Frank glanced at Solis to break the tension, “If you got hurt trying to protect Patrick/Percival, why didn't you do the same to me?” Solis gave a few chirps.

“Solis! That's not nice!” Patrick told her. She only huffed, puffing her feathers up.

 _“She is like that. You will have to get used to it, unfortunately.”_ Percival sighed.

“What did she say?” Bob asked.

“She said she didn't because she thought you would be stupid like Pete and try to grab her while she protected you. Of course, that's the less insulting version.”

“Well, I can't say she's wrong...” Frank admitted.

 _“You were brave enough to grab Solis while she was on fire?”_ Montresor gazed up at Pete with admiration, _“Only Percival could ever do that, and that was with gloves! I have always wished to try it, but I cannot touch her! Tell me how you did it!”_

“Erm...” The other guys were chuckling as Pete felt uncomfortable, not quite sure how to deal with his new ghost fanboy. And, even though they were all smiling at this turn of events, not all of them reflected happiness on the inside.

“You know, before we leave, I think we should share some of our music with these guys, after what they've done for us and what we've done for them.” Ray suggested, “What about you guys?”

“Sure!”

“Sounds awesome!”

“Ferdinand, you won't know what hit you when you hear us!” There were similar replies as the others nodded, but then something occured to them.

“How are we supposed to do it without instruments?” asked Joe.

“I think I saw some old ones up in the Phonicamy Tower. Not exactly good ones, but ones preserved here.” Pete said, “Think they'll do?”

“Only one way to find out.” Bob said.

* * *

As the bands preformed with gitterns and improvised drums to make the kings happy as well as themselves, elsewhere things were changing, setting the stage for something more. Three people, all of them singers, got an anonymous email that only said:

_Do you believe in ghosts?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the epilogue that ties up some loose ends from the story, so it can technically be considered the actual last chapter if Disenchanted wasn't good enough for you Youngbloods and Killjoys. I'm hoping to make a prequel to this and a sort-of sequel that will be placed between this story and the ACTUAL sequel, though the prequel could be considered a collection of side stories, since you don't really need to read it unless you want more adventures with the kings.
> 
> And also, if any of you guys are big fans (and by big fans I mean you know a lot about the guys themselves and not just their music) of Falling in Reverse, Black Veil Brides, Set It Off, All Time Low, and more, I'd like some helpful advice. I'm not into those fandoms that much, but their characters will be appearing in later bandom stories I'll be making (including the sequel and a werewolf sort-of AU) and I want to try and keep them in character. There's not much fanfiction I can find about some of them that keeps them in character, so it's good to have helpful input.
> 
> But anyway, this truly is The End Of All Things for this story. And if you guys really liked this AU a lot, then I wouldn't mind if you wanted to add to the Collection this is with, called Medieval AUs (Bandom). Shameless self-promotion, I know, but I also promote creativity in an interesting AU, so it works out.
> 
> Also, if someone's not in character (Lyn-Z, Bandit) tell me and I'll fix it, not to mention grammar mistakes. I also find I like cramming 3 different FOB songs into the chapter title. It's fun! One more thing, a gittern is a very old version of a guitar that existed during the 1000s, if I haven't already mentioned it. And this time, I really do mean it when I say 'See you next time!' though I'm sorry I had to make this AN so long. I hate goodbyes, don't you?

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Of Kings and Conspiracies](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14748681) by [spenlock](https://archiveofourown.org/users/spenlock/pseuds/spenlock)




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